The Hidden Truth
by LittleGreenTroll
Summary: Obi-Wan is sent to protect a king in the Outer Rim. But he discovers a secret and becomes a hunted. Can Anakin and Qui-Gon rescue him, and discover the hidden truth? Sequel to "Here and Now", set 5 years after it. Still AU. COMPLETE
1. the beginning of the end

Title: The Hidden Truth  
  
Sequel to Here and Now  
  
Timeframe: set 5 years after my version of TPM  
  
Summary: Obi-Wan is sent to a planet in order to protect a king in danger. But he discovers a hidden truth and becomes the hunted. Can Qui-Gon and Anakin save not only him, but discover the secret? AU  
  
Disclaimer: I don't make any money with this story. George Lucas is the owner of this wonderful universe with all its' characters. I only own Kyah Tara, King Draju  
  
** Hello! The LittleGreenTroll strikes back! You convinced me write a sequel. Don't forget I'm still German and make many grammatical mistakes...**  
  
Chapter1: the beginning of the end  
  
Obi-Wan slowly descended from his starfighter. It had been a very long journey to the planet  
  
Dakona V. He had almost been travelling for 9 days, when the signals in the cockpit began to  
  
beep. Dakona V is known for its' rough climate. During the summer the whole planet turns into a rainforest with tropical temperatures, very pressing heat and with thunderstorms and rain at night. During the winter the planet was an ice block. It was a nasty cold, that ruled over the planet. Obi-Wan was glad, that he grew up on a planet, where the weather could be controlled. It seemed to be summer now because the heat made Obi-Wan, who wasn't used such weather conditions, sweat almost immediately. His blue eyes tried to take his surroundings in. Soldiers gathered around his ship and a red carpet made its' way to the landing platform. A fanfare, and the king surrounded by his adviser, bodyguards and his 3 wives came into view. Kenobi raised a brow and had to swallow very hard to suppress a grin. That was ridiculous! The planet was known to be a very poor one and this king was wallowing in all his wealth. He even had his own landing platform in his palace!  
  
"Ah, Knight Kenobi! We were expecting you!", with that king Draju stepped in front of the knight. "I hope that you have been informed about the circumstances of your visit.", the king said worriedly. He was a very short man with black hair and brown eyes. His weight reflected his wealth because had the stature of a ball. He wore robes out of the finest material of the whole galaxy. He was decorated like a Christmas Tree. Gold was hanging all over him.  
  
"Yes, your Honour, I know everything. There was an attempt to assassinate you by your opposition. Now I shall protect you until a truce can be formed.", he stated calmly. "WHAT? A truce. The Republic should have sent me a loyal bodyguard and not a negotiator. I will not be save until the last one of those rebels is dead! I arrested a few of them and they even testified their deeds proudly! Do you need more proves? Do you need my dead body to believe in the danger of my situation?", the king cried so loud, that Obi-Wan was sure, that the king could even be heard on Coruscant.  
  
" Your Honour, please compose yourself!", Obi-Wan demanded," I will take care of your safety, but I will take care of peace, too. This whole scenario could result into a Civil War. I have a bad feeling about this!"  
  
" Elá, take Knight Kenobi to his chamber!", the king clapped into his hands and a boy stepped before the Jedi. The eyes of the boy were full of devouring fear.  
  
The young Knight didn't want to argue with the powerful king, but he sensed, that there was something else behind all this, but he couldn't get it right. With time and observation he would get it....  
  
"Do you think, that this was wise you Highness? Lying to a Jedi could have catastrophic consequences! What if he detects ...."? His adviser couldn't finish to make his sorrows public because the lanky man was cut off harsh by Draju. " Nonsense! I didn't fake the attempt of my own assassination only to confess it to the Jedi! Do you know how long it took me torture one of the rebels and to force him to sign a confession, that confirmed their failed attempt of killing me? And tomorrow Kenobi will be the witness of another failed assassination. This will convince him of the rebels' threat and then we will be allowed to hunt them down legally. The senate won't sanction our actions! At last we will get rid of my worst enemies, at last I will get rid of my niece, of Kyah Tara." He laughed out loud. The sound of his evil laughter echoed through the whole palace...  
  
Tbc... 


	2. a time for reflection

The Hidden Truth  
  
Chapter 2: A time for reflection  
  
Obi-Wan paced in his comfortable and luxurious room. There was something about this king, something very uncomforting. A hand went through his ginger hair, that didn't reflect the Padawan haircut anymore. It was longer, but that didn't mean, that it got a proper haircut. He also grew a beard to look more mature. So he strolled from the left side of the room to the right side, from the right to the left and so on. It was as if the king had hidden a fact of very enormous importance from him. For now he had to protect and to believe the king. He sighed almost inaudible. He went to the window and let his gaze wander. He had a fantastic view. He could not only see the whole palace and estates of the royal family, but also the village, that was right next to the high walls of the castle. The palace cast a long shadow over the tiny town and Obi-Wan wondered whether its' inhabitants ever saw the sun. It looked so poor, so boxed in. Sun and shadow, the border of wealth and poverty.  
No wonder that the king was not very well-liked among his subjects. His wealth was quite obviously, but he didn't give anything to them. His was suffocating in money and his people were very poor and maybe starving. He had to find out more about the ruler and therefore he had to mingle with his subjects. Obi-Wan decided that he would go tomorrow evening into the village just after his audience with the king during the daily troop inspection. With that he went to sleep, but he stayed alert, leaving one hand on his lightsabre. Tomorrow would be a big day for him...  
  
Meanwhile in the rainforest, a few miles outside the village  
  
"Kyah, Kyah? Did you hear the news? A Jedi arrived on the planet! Our problems will be ...".  
  
"Worse! Don't you understand? The Jedi only is here because Draju claimed that there was an assassination attempt on him performed by us!", the girl interrupted the cheerful blond man with the deep brown eyes. " If Draju convinces the Jedi that we are a danger, he can kill us legally without any consequences for him and his crown. We got to do something very quickly!" she said without any trace of emotions.  
  
"What? But we didn't try to kill him! Why would anybody believe him?, the blond man asked, not believing, what he just heard. " Because he captured one of us, tortured him, made him sign a confession, that confirmed our participation in the attempt and killed him.", the 16-year-old girl said full of sorrows. "How do you know?", Det asked with wide eyes. "I have my sources in the palace. Remember, I lived there once, when my father was still alive and people had enough to eat and didn't have to pay taxes for breathing...He wants me! And by destroying me, he will crash the hopes of his "people". All he wants is total obedience and money.", her eyes gazed up into the sky as if pleading for an answer to her unspoken questions. "We are surrounded by denouncers, who were promised a better life by betraying us. That is why they could capture one of us. So don't trust anybody!", she stood up and went to her sleeping place. Kyah Tara couldn't sleep, her mind was too occupied. She  
pushed strains of her bordeaux-red hair aside and decided to take a walk in the forest. Her green, penetrating eyes scanning everything. She was only 16 years old, but the leader of the persuaded opposition of King Draju, her uncle. And if Draju could win the Jedi onto his side, she wouldn't live much longer. A girl like her shouldn't have all those responsibilities, she should hang around with friends, discover her life, love and should be protected by her family....family. She hadn't any family. Draju murdered her father. The only family she ever had! Her mother died during giving birth to her and now she was on her own. When she found out that Draju killed her father she had to flee. Now she was trying to build up an opposition, that could force Draju to resign. She wanted a peaceful solution, but now it wasn't even clear if they would survive. They couldn't fight a war, they all were diplomats. Maybe she just should go straight to the king and surrender. Maybe he  
wouldn't harm the innocent then. Yes that was the only solution. "He wants me, only me!", she screamed and ran off...  
  
Kyah would reach the castle by noon...There was no time for regret. 


	3. misleading paths

The Hidden Truth   
Chapter 3: misleading paths 

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter, but I am very busy right now. I got a tutorial at university. But I promise to upload the next chapters rather quickly. So please read and review Every author needs feedback, even a LittleGreenTroll** 

Kyah slowed down. She had been walking for almost all night and morning. But she was determined to fulfill her destiny- even if it meant to die. The 16-year-old girl was exhausted. Beads of sweat flowing down her pretty face, she neared her unknown destiny. But not only the high temperatures were responsible for the salty liquid. She heard her heart pounding in her chest. Was she afraid? Now that she approached her old home-the palace. Little hairs rose on her back, when she thought of Draju and her treatment, that she would receive. Maybe he wouldn't kill her.   
"Why am I fooling myself?", she said aloud. If he didn't kill her instantly, he would make her suffering and then begging for her death. Kyah would be murdered like her beloved father. The Teenager knew, that her uncle had an unlimited greed for power, that made him unpredictable. She shivered by thinking of her last relative. An ice cold shower went over her back. Making her spine feel numb and her legs started to paralyse. Could Ky really afford the courage to walk over to the despot in order to save her friends, who believed in her. She had to, though her feeling in her legs hadn't returned yet. There were only a few miles left. "My Dad would have done it!", she encouraged herself with a strong voice, that did not allow any insecurities to peek through her-now- composed façade. One more time she turned her head and glanced back to the forest. Her green eyes did not carry the usual so refreshing spirit of her soul, they carried sadness and a flicker of anger, hate. Her windows to her soul closed, whole shaking her head. No, she had to look forward. Only the village protected her from the clutches of the tyrant.   
The wind played with her long cherry-coloured hair, that was tied back into a ponytail. Just a few strains were to shrewish to be tamed. But they didn't sap her dignity. Nobody could take away it, not even Draju.   
Ky set one foot into the very small town. Suddenly the life of the busy village stood still. Every citizen looked at the proud young lady. A whisper went through the people. "Isn't that…?" an old man asked.   
"I thought she was dead!", another murmured to his neighbour   
"I knew that she would come back someday!", a woman cried full of hope   
Kyah forced her way through the villagers, avoiding direct eye contact. She couldn't look at them. When she left, this very village blossomed like a flower in spring. And now? It seemed to be the most miserable place to live in. The young woman was so ashamed to have any relationship with this so -called king. Her gaze was glued onto the dirty pavement.   
Coming nearer and nearer to the entrance of the palace, her fear was welling inside again. Soldiers saw her approach. Now it even was too late for running. They grabbed her shirt and threw her hard onto the ground. 

Meanwhile in the palace 

Obi-Wan was getting impatient. He knew, that this wasn't a Jedi trait, but he tried almost the whole day to talk to the king privately. Now his nerves were very thin. The king didn't even acknowledge him because he was enjoying himself. He was inspecting his troops.   
Obi-Wan fidgeted. Qui-Gon always tried to stop that, but he failed miserably. His fingers played with the edge of his sleeves. It was better than to chew fingernails. The Knight had to find his focus again. The nagging bad feeling somehow returned to his mind. There was something going on." But what?", he thought. He had to talk to the king….instantly! 

***outside the palace*** 

"Surrender rebel scum or we will be forced to kill you!", one of them yelled into her ear.   
She couldn't even respond to the request, when of the armed monsters in the nice black uniforms kicked her into the ribcage. There was a cracking sound and she cried out aloud. Her breathing became very rapid. She was only a girl for god's sake! Did they really expect her to fight an army on her own and to cause any damage? A short soldier pulled her arms onto her back and put chains around her wrists. Then he whispered very softly into her ear   
" You are very pretty my dear! I hope King Draju doesn't want to kill you immediately! His soldiers should be granted a bit fun, too.". He forced her to her feet and placed his slimy lips onto hers. His foul breath wormed through her mouth, made her want to vomit and her eyes widened in shock. She was dragged towards the court. 

***palace*** 

Suddenly a very loud noise. An explosion! Fire! The ground on which they were standing shook. Obi-Wan threw himself over the king to protect him from any harm. Soldiers running, screaming frantically. Chaos emerged. Then the noise and the fire faded and Obi-Wan stood up. His robes were torn, but he wasn't injured. The king was lucky enough to be unharmed too.   
" Now is that prove enough, Kenobi? Do you want more? The rebels tried to do it again and maybe they will try it again and succeed!", the king was hysterical by now and hyperventilating. Obi-Wan helped him up and tried to calm him down but if Qui-Gon couldn't make Obi-Wan stop fidgeting, Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to make the king relax. The young man let his gaze wonder and caught sight of a small troop of soldiers, who were dragging a girl towards the king. He looked at them confused.   
"Look what you have done!", one of the men said to the frightened child and hit straight into her face.   
"I hope that the king wasn't harmed! If so I will kill you with my bare hands!", another one cried at her and slammed his fist into her ribs. She screamed in pain, but she refused to cry. Her pants were covered with blood and her shirt didn't look much better.   
Now even the king saw them coming. Making sure Kenobi couldn't see him, he smiled to himself. Now his time had come! …. 

Tbc…   
  


  



	4. glancing beyond the surface

The Hidden Truth 

Chapter 4: glancing beyond the surface

** Thank you for your nice reviews. This is going to be a longer story, so I need all 

     encouragement I can get**

Draju was a fabulous actor. Slowly he went to the bloody girl, who looked directly into his eyes and was therefore hit again into her pretty face. "So you are behind all this, Kyah Tara? I should have known it from the start! Why are you doing this to me?", Draju said never letting his mask drop.

"I didn't do it Draju! How should I? I came to surrender and not to blast you into oblivion! Just after my arrival the bomb or whatever it had been, exploded!" she told the king defiantly.

The king took one of his giant hands and stroke her cheek, but then hit her face again.

"Even for you it is "King Draju" or your Highness, do you understand?" he  told her menacingly.

She wanted to spit into his face, she felt so disgusted by his performance. The Jedi behind this despot seemed just to be decoration because he didn't move or say anything, he just watched the whole happening.

" Now I really wished I had placed that bomb here in your court!" she said in a low and  very clear tone. Now she was cuffed into her ribs and she couldn't help. She cried out and dropped to her knees.

"Sergeant, take her into our dungeon! We will later discuss her punishment.", the king stated unmerciful and Kyah could have sworn, that she saw blood thirst in his cold dark eyes.

 Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to speak up. "Your Highness, she is just a child and she is wounded, she maybe your prisoner, but her injuries have to be treated!" 

The king snorted at this comment. "Knight Kenobi, do you know who she is? She is the leader of the rebels. She is behind all the attempts to assassinate me! She may look innocent, but you are fooled by her appearance! She is a killer and she will suffer for that as well as her fellow rebels will suffer for their actions."

" I am not a killer! " Kyah screamed desperately, but was taken immediately to the dark cellar of the palace. Obi-Wan looked her behind and shook his head unbelieving, what he just saw. 

"Your Highness, what will happen to her?", he asked concerned. The king raised his head in order to look Kenobi directly into the eyes. The dark met the blue ones. 

"She will confess her deeds, even  if I have to apply violent measures. Now that you saw all the aggression against me, will you state my case before the Senate? I don't think, that there will be a peaceful solution.",  Draju tried to influence the Jedi, who seem to look through the king.

"We will see!", the young man answered and went off. The confusion in his mind was disturbing him more and more. First he thought the bad feeling was about an attack, but after the explosion, it didn't go away! His feeling were leading him to the girl. He had to talk to her. Maybe he could get a  chance now before her hearing or to be more precise before her torture. The poor teenager. He himself had been tortured on missions and he knew how painful and how cruel measures could be. 

Kyah was thrown into her cell. She landed on her injuries and took a sharp breath. If she only knew what her expected. She would be tortured, so much was clear, but she wished, that she could prepare for the immense pain she would receive. There was a small cot in the corner, so she limped to it and laid down. Sleep was elusive. In a few hours she would cry for her Daddy and would beg them to stop it. That was the bitter truth. She heard steps in front of her cell. But she didn't try to sit up, she was too tired. She closed her green eyes for a brief moment, when she opened them, the Jedi was hovering over her. She almost cried out!

"What do you want?", she spat out.

"I want to talk to you privately.", he told her in a calmly.

"Yes sure! Only to tell it your precious king afterwards. Don't you see that you are just a toy, a puppet for him?", her voice trailed off and she had to blink back tears…

Tbc…


	5. a door to sincerity

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 5: a door to sincerity 

**Thank you so much for your reviews! Today and tomorrow I'm going to post more because 

    I'm going on a short trip. I'll be back on Sunday!**

Obi-Wan was lost for words. He raised one brow looked deep into her green, honest eyes and opened his mouth to speak. But he couldn't  sort out his thoughts. So a simple:" What did you say?", left his lips. He knew that the king didn't reveal everything, but was he really a puppet of a conspiracy? He didn't know who he should believe, though the girl seemed to be sincere with him.

"I said that you were just a tool, that helped this…this tyrant to secure his dictatorship. Do you know how many dead bodies cover his path? Do you know, what he does with his opponents?", she sobbed. The Jedi tried to look away, but a sharp and commanding tone brought his eyes back to hers.

"Look at me! I just came to surrender to protect my supporters. Now I am accused of placing a bomb in the court and of trying to kill the regent. What are they thinking? I don't understand anything anymore! Neither I did it, nor my fellow people, but we will suffer the consequences. I bet, that he organized this scenario for you!", she said disgustedly.

Obi-Wan couldn't help, but there was something in this girl, that connected the man with the teenager. He kneeled next to her cot and tried to figure out, what she just had said.

"So why do you think am I here?", Kenobi asked carefully.

"You are only here to back up the king's lie about his opposition, that we are a threat for him. He wants you to confirm his observations and then the senate allows him to take action against us, to hunt us down, to kill everyone of us until we are just a legend for the frightened and starving people of this planet." ,she said with a haunted look in her eyes, "I will make a good example for his demonstration of his power. With my death he will scare the people off. He will make me suffer for my knowledge of him.", she added.

" If I find a prove for your accusation of king Draju, I will help you.", Obi-Wan stood up and left the cell. He didn't want to let his emotion rule his behaviour, so he left, before anything could happen. 

Guards entered the dungeon and he Obi-Wan knew, that the girl would be brought to the king. He hurried to the throne room in order to witness her hearing or to be able to prevent a deadly torture. Maybe he could help her with the force to ban a bit of her pain. 

Arriving at the room, he saw a small door leading to another chamber. He stepped it and was came to a halt. There were instruments and machines only built for making prisoners suffer. It was the torture chamber. And in the centre of it a teenager was chained to some kind of stocks. Now Kenobi decided it would be better to hide himself and listen to the conversation between the ruler and the young woman. He used the force to cover himself and to detect the feelings of the people in the room. The female rebel was frightened but the expression on her face was stoic and didn't let any emotion through her tight façade. The king was full of hate…

" So Kyah, here we meet again! Don't worry I'm not going to kill you today! I just want to be in pain and to shut up. It is the same pattern your father went through!" the ugly man said with great expectation in his voice. Obi-Wan sharpened his senses, this was going to be very interesting. One man dressed in red joined Draju his guards and his "guest". He was also very short, but powerful built. His hands very enormous and strong. A whip and other instruments were attached to his belt. 

"Do you know, my precious niece, that this is the same man, who tortured your father?" Kyah went mad she tried to kick the evil man in front of her, but her chains made it impossible for her to reach him.

Obi-Wan was stunned. So she was his niece, their were relatives?  

"Now that you will die very soon I will explain you every painful detail, why your father, king Bronco, had to die!", Draju spat the name out, so much did he hate his brother.

"You were his only child and female! So you never would be able to rule the planet, which meant I would be the rightful heir of this kingdom! But your father the cunning old devil imposed a reform onto the law. He didn't trust me, what a wise decision. When I found out, what he did, I went to him and we had an argument. He showed me the paper, that made you the heir of his planet. Well, I'm afraid I had to torture and to kill him and to lock  the evidences of the law away.", the despot said in an insane tone.

If Obi-Wan hadn't leaned against something, he would have been collapsed by now. Revelations over revelations. The girl spoke the truth. He would help her. "Come, what may!", he thought and turned his attention back to the people in the room.

Tbc…


	6. Light in the Darkness

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 6:  Light in the darkness

The man dressed in a red tunic grabbed his whip and made movements as if he was warming up for beating her. Kyah's eyes were wide open and she looked horrified by regarding the whip and by thinking of what she heard a few seconds ago. What a monster was Draju? Slowly she closed her big green eyes and tried to prepare herself for her torment. Her body went still and she found her centre. Suddenly the whip made contact with her smooth skin. The only thing she felt was hot, burning pain on her back. The stroke tore her white shirt. But she didn't cry out. "He will not take my dignity!", she recalled in her mind. Then another stroke and another. The beats came more rapidly now. Tears streamed down her bloody face, but she didn't make a sound. Her back was on fire and she felt a warm liquid flowing down her spine. It was blood. Remaining of her shirt was pressed into the welts with every hit. Suddenly the king nodded and the other man stopped.

"Will you sign the confession, that confirms, that you were behind all these criminal acts?", Draju asked. But Kyah shook  her head.

" I will not confess, what I didn't do!" she stated calmly.

Draju gave again a nod and the other man made a fire and place an iron rod into the flames. When the top of the rod was red-hot, he took it out of the fire. Then he ripped of the girl's shirt and exposed the upper part of her body, her chest only protected by a bra. Slowly, but painfully he touched the teenager's skin of her stomach. She gritted her teeth, but nevertheless a small cry escaped her mouth. Again and again the man repeated the action. The air carried a stench of burnt flesh. There were clearly visible marks on her stomach, chest and shoulders, where she was burnt.

"Sign it and you will die a quick death tomorrow!", the king almost yelled

Obi-Wan was surprised that such a young girl could  make it through this kind of torture. He was impressed.

"NO I WILL NOT,  BASTARD!" she screamed at him.

The man in the red uniform laid the red-hot metal aside and took another rod. And he started to hit her everywhere. A sickening crack was audible, when he hit her right knee. Now she cried out aloud. Obi-Wan tried to wrap her into the force, but he couldn't subdue much of the pain. It was too much. She was hit everywhere and eventually she became unconscious. Obi-Wan was glad, that the beating stopped and that she wasn't able to feel much of her pain right now.

"Bring this scum back into her cell! We will finish tomorrow, what we began today.", with that the monster of a king left the chamber.

Kyah was dragged into her cell and thrown onto the cot.

Obi-Wan was furious, how could he have served a man like this? He had to find the evidence of  the document, that made Kyah to the rightful queen of this planet. But first he would have to treat her injuries, even if the king was against it. It didn't matter anymore. 

He went down to the prison with a backpack, that he just fetched from his chamber on the upper floors. Suddenly a big soldier stepped in front of him.

"Where are you going, Jedi?", he asked aggressively

Obi-Wan moved his hand in front of the soldier's face and said: "You will let me through!"

"I will let you through!", the soldier agreed peacefully.

"You will forget, that I've been here!"

"I will forget that you've been here!"

"Move along!"

"Move along!"

What the guard didn't realize was that Obi-Wan stole the keys for the prison cells. What a weak minded creature. Obi-Wan went quickly to Kyah's cell and opened it without any sound. He looked at her closely and was sick of the view, that presented itself in front of him. Blood streamed down her features. She looked awful. There wasn't a spot on her body unharmed. When he touched her cheek, he woke up and wanted to scream, but she couldn't she was too exhausted and in too much pain.

"Sssshhh, Kyah I am going to help you! I don't want to hurt you, little one. Stay calm.", he calmed her with his soothing voice.

"What's your name and does the king know, that you are here?", she asked weakly.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and no, the king doesn't know!" he said with a small smile.

"He will punish you for helping me!" 

"He doesn't need to know. I won't let him harm you again." 

Gently he examined the girl's injuries. Kyah was embarrassed because of being half naked and she turned her head away. His hands felt for broken ribs and he found three on the left side. He searched in his backpack for bacta to be able to treat the burns on her skin and the welts on her back. But he couldn't bandage her ribs and broken patella. The bandage couldn't be hidden because she didn't possess a shirt anymore. Obi-Wan gave her a dose of painkillers and she dosed off. Now he could set the broken bones in her knee and see if there were ligaments torn or not. When he had done his work he left quietly the room and decided to search for the documents in the night. He couldn't do it tomorrow because for her, there wouldn't be a tomorrow if he didn't act quickly.

Tbc… 


	7. Escape into Uncetrainty

The Hidden Truth

**Chapter 7: escape into uncertainty **

**This will be my last post until Sunday, so enjoy the chapters. Be nice and review afterwards**

A few hours later night fell over the kingdom and  the Jedi sneaked  cat-like out of his chamber. A thunder-storm was blowing outside, usual for this time of year. Where would he have to search for the record? Draju said that it had been locked away. He moved like a ghost through the corridors, he didn't make a single sound, even his robe was silent. Did a king have an office? No, certainly not. So where else? Only the king personally had access to the evidence. Which room in this palace was only allowed to be used by the king? His bathroom. Kenobi almost had to laugh out loud. The young man didn't think, that  Draju possessed one because of the stench, that was following him like a shadow. His bedroom! It had to be somewhere in his bedroom. He headed towards the bedroom. Lightning made the night to day and the thunder growled so loud, that even the dead would be woken up by it. A few soldiers were guarding the hall, which led to he night chambers of the king. He ducked his head and crawled like an insect unseen on the floor- with a little help of the force. He needed a diversion to open the door and enter it. Suddenly lightning and thunder emerged again and the diversion was perfect. 

The room was enormous with pictures, tapestries on the walls. The guards in front of the door were the only security measures of the king. Technology was developing, but only with the help of the Republic. The king depended on the benevolence of the Senate. But that didn't matter right now. Obi-Wan monitored the room, his glance was caught by a red safe-like thing next to Draju's bed. This was going to be very tough for Obi-Wan. So the Jedi had to be very careful, he sneaked over to it and placed a scanner on the lock of the safe. It made strange noises next to the ear of the short man, who was lying peacefully in his big bed. Kenobi bit on his lip and waited patiently until the scanner cracked the lock. It snapped open. He heard a mumbling voice next to him. The king was talking in his sleep. Obi-Wan had to hurry. He looked for the document, but there were so many things in this little safe. One more time he put his hand into it and grabbed for a paper-like thing. And he got it. He was relieved. He closed the safe and wanted to walk silently away. But he didn't  count with the thunder, that was as loud as the explosion the day before. The kings eyes opened and he looked frantically around. His eyes fixed the Jedi, who was holding a record in his hand. But Knight Kenobi made a severe mistake because he left the scanner on the lock of the red box. Obi-Wan's brows raised and a rather embarrassed smile formed his mouth as if a child was caught during stealing sweets.

 "So The Jedi knows everything!", Draju thought bitterly. But he wouldn't leave the planet or even the palace alive. Draju would take care of that himself.

"GUARDS, HELP ME!", the despot screamed in a desperate tone. Kenobi broke into a dead-run. He had the evidence and now he had to fetch Kyah. He used the force to speed his run up. The Guards tried really hard to arrest or to capture him, but they were without any trace of a chance. He ran as fast as he could to the cellar, put the proof into one of the hidden pockets in his tunic and ignited his blue lightsabre. The blade frightened the two soldiers, that guarded the dungeon because they had never seen anything like that before, and he was led to Kyah's cell. He lifted the sleeping teenager into his arms and ran like a mad-man towards his spaceship. Arrows flew around his head and he was stunned how old-fashioned weapons they used on Dakona V. Then suddenly burning arrows flew. 

"This is not good!", the knight muttered to himself. It was a bless that the girl was unconscious. Desperately he tried to fight his way free to the transport, but his way was blocked, he had to find another possibility. First of all he had to leave the royal palace. So he rushed to the closing portal. He was so close just a few more meters….. And …He …Made…It!

They were free. He run through the village and was heading for the forest. In a few minutes he would be out of sight for the king, but what then? What would be the king's next step? He was so glad, that he had his comlink. He just hoped, that the batteries weren't empty. But he didn't think, that he would see his spaceship ever again. Well actually it wasn't his spaceship. It was Mace Windu's. A small grin crawled over his features. How many ships of the dark-skinned Jedi did he crash or lose during his  days with his former Master. He knew, that this transport was Mace's newest pride and he knew, that Anakin smashed his last pride during a landing manoeuvre. Yes, Mace should have learned his lesson through the years, but he still entrusted Qui-Gon and his apprentices with his ships. A big mistake…

Kenobi slowed down he knew, that the soldiers couldn't see him anymore, now he to find a hiding place for the two of them. He turned his head around. "This shouldn't be a problem in such a forest!", he encouraged himself

Tbc…


	8. The Antenna of a Father

The Hidden Truth 

****

**Chapter  8**: **The antenna of a Father**

Qui-Gon dropped his lightsabre onto the floor of the gym. Something must have happened to..Obi-Wan! He knew from the start, that his former Padawan shouldn't go alone on this mission, but nobody listened to him. His face lost its' normal healthy colour and his greying hair seemed to go white for a second. The world around him stopped for a moment.

"Master, what's wrong?" a confused, boyish voice asked from the back-round. Anakin looked concerned at his Master. The 14-year-old teenager attached his weapon to his belt and went to the older Jedi.

"There is something with Obi-Wan. We have to contact the Council immediately.", the older man answered worriedly. Though Obi-Wan wasn't his Padawan anymore, he still shared a bond with him. He couldn't explain why, but it still existed. Through the years they stayed very close and Obi-Wan also learned to care for Anakin and learned to live with Jar-Jar. But seeing how much trouble a Padawan could cause he swore never to take one. But someday even the stoic Obi-Wan would take a student.

"What did you feel through the force?", a curious boy asked.

"A slight panic, disorientation, worry and exhaustion. It must have happened something to him. It doesn't matte, what the council says, we are going to leave for Dakona V in a few hours. Go and pack our things, Ani." Qui-Gon spoke very hasty and Anakin knew better than to ask any further questions.

Qui-Gon strode to the heavy doors of the Council chambers. It didn't matter to the Jedi whether he interrupted a session or not, all he wanted was a transport to the planet, on which his old Padawan was in trouble. But even, if he was allowed to take off instantly, he would need 9 very long days to reach Obi-Wan. When the secretary saw a determined Qui-Gon, she rolled with her eyes. Not again! This Master was annoying her.

"Master Jinn you can't go into the chamber, the council is discussing about a transmission, that just came in.", she said in an angry voice. Qui-Gon chose to ignore her and to open the doors. Giving her an ironic smile, he went through the door.

"My Masters! I need a transport to Dakona V.", the lanky Jedi said respectfully

"Obi-Wan in trouble is. A message from king Draju we received. Captured by rebels he was.", Yoda said with dropping ears. "Know whether still alive Kenobi is, he does not. Go and help your former apprentice you will. But be aware! Before you paths placed, will be. Follow the easiest you must not. Hidden the right one is." As usual Yoda spoke in riddles, Qui-Gon doubted that the green troll understood this mystery himself. Jinn went out of the room and was followed by Mace.

"Hey Qui! Bring Obi-Wan back and if it wouldn't be a big problem, go out and save my ship, too!", the council member really loved his ship, so much was clear. Qui-Gon nodded and knew that he owned Mace this favour. 

"I see, what I can do old friend!" and ran to  his quarters.

Anakin stood already with packed back-packs in front of their apartment. That was quick.

"Did they allow us to go? Not that it mattered, I'm just curious." Anakin said sheepishly.

"Yes, they allowed us to go, Ani. Come on, we have to go a long journey to Dakona V awaits us, my Apprentice." With that they went to the hanger, where the transports were. Nine long days would pass until he could help his beloved son. Obi-Wan knew how to defend.

" Obi-Wan had the best teacher, he will make it, Master", Ani said as if he was picking up his thoughts."

"Of course he will.", the master answered and ruffled the boy's spiky blond hair. "By the way, what did you tell Jar-Jar?".

Sincere blue eyes looked into Qui-Gon's  wrinkled face. " I only told him, that we were on our way to a very, very dangerous mission on a hot planet. And if his skin would make contact with the rays of the sun, it would be murdered instantly. I am afraid, that he doesn't want to come with us."

" It is indeed a dangerous mission, Ani. And I think for Jar-Jar's sake will be better to stay out of Obi-Wan's reach."

Tbc…

** Have a nice week-end! And please review. And you could check out my other story "A Late Revelation *grin* **


	9. spreading of a conspiracy

The Hidden Truth Chapter 9: the spreading conspiracy 

** I'm back and had a tough weekend and a monster of a hangover! Thank you all for your reviews! Some of your reviews referred to my Jar-Jar-problem. I do not really like that creature, to be more precise I find the it to be very annoying, but nevertheless Jar-Jar is very good to put a bit humour into your story (to ridicule the alien a bit etc.). For my taste the Gungan played a too big role in the movie, but that's just my opinion…*grin* **

The thunderstorm ceased. But Obi-Wan didn't feel the rain on his skin, didn't hear the thunder or didn't see the lighting anymore the only thing , that mattered right now, was the security of the injured teenager in his arms. He had to separate his senses to survive this mission. He had to find a safe place, where they could stay for the remaining of the night. Carefully, he scanned the area for a dry hiding place. The girl in his arms was a dead weight. 

Suddenly his bright blue eyes caught glimpse of a hollow tree. The plant was enormous. A whole family would have enough room to stay in there. Going inside he realized that Kyah was stirring. She was waking up, too soon. He hadn't the chance to bring any medical equipment with him and he wasn't sure whether he could cure her with the help of the force. She was trembling in his arms.

Then it hit him! She only wore a bra and her torn pants. He blushed. His cloak was too wet, but he could offer her the upper part of his tunic. He didn't think about it twice and he took off his tunic in order to cloth the young woman in it. She was very weak and by reaching full consciousness she would be in much pain. Kenobi didn't mind to give her his tunic. It was a warm summer night, though a thunderstorm just appeared. Kindly he covered her in the warming fabric. An eye opened, closed and two green eyes opened again. She blinked and her foggy vision cleared a bit. It seemed as if she wanted to scream. Horror and fear masked her battered face at the sight of a man, only dressed in his pants, kneeling next to her. She was too puzzled to recognise the Jedi, who helped her in the dungeon. Obi-Wan gently placed a finger on her mouth and spoke in a soothing voice.

"Kyah don't be afraid. I'm the Jedi from the prison, Obi-Wan. Do you remember me?" Slowly he took his finger away and recognition marked her eyes. Her features softened and she tried to speak, but when she opened her mouth the only audible sound was a painful moan. 

"I know, that it hurts. I will try to send you healing waves of the force, so relax.", the only thing Kyah saw before she fell asleep was a waving hand in front of her face. Obi-Wan took a deep breath and shifted into a comfortable meditation position. He knew, that he had to stay the whole night alert because Draju's men were on his and Kyah's heels.

Meanwhile in the palace…

The short form of the king sat on his throne. He was furious. How could the Jedi and Kyah escape him? This was a dangerous situation. He had to find them. An enormous reward had been placed on their heads. "Wanted" circulars had been placed everywhere. The population would be seduced by the amount of money that was set on their heads. But they should be alive because Draju wanted to have the pleasure to kill them. He formed a fist with his right hand and slammed it against his throne. He already took care of a "credible" version of the past events. He was such a good actor. He had to admit that this had been his best acting performance for long. Trying to regain his composure, making a suffering face and speaking with a shaking voice. He recalled the message he sent to the Senate.

"This is our darkest hour. My kingdom was again attacked by reckless rebels, who want to access power! We are desperate, I am desperate. We are fighting a war that we are not able to win. Even my loyal bodyguard Jedi-Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi was kidnapped by these people. I do not know whether he is still alive or not. I, personally, will make sure, that everything will be done to discover the whereabouts of the missing Jedi, you have my word." He bowed respectfully and pressed the stop-button of the recorder. With an evil smile on his slimy lips he transmitted it to the debating Senate.

But how in the Galaxy could he know, that the Chancellor would send another Jedi-Team to investigate the disappearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had to find and to kill him and he had to be very quick about it. There was no other way. In 9 days would be the arrival of the spaceship….

Tbc…


	10. a developing friendship

The Hidden Truth 

**Chapter 10: a developing friendship**

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked into Kyah's face. She was still sleeping. The ginger haired man stood up and went outside to scan the area for scouts and bounty hunters of he king. He knew that Draju wouldn't make it easy for them to leave the planet or even to survive. The king was a great schemer, he was able to influence and manipulate the Senate with his lies. Obi-Wan shook his head sadly. Even he fell- for a few moments- for his stories of the savage rebels.  The Jedi stretched  his sore sand stiff muscles. He enjoyed the beauty of this planet. Looking up to the sky, the sun was already rising. Soon enough it would be very hot. This would cause enormous problems for the injured girl because they had to move. They couldn't stay in one place for long with the regent only one step behind. He heard noises from inside the gigantic tree, Kyah came to. Quickly Kenobi went inside and was impressed by what he saw. The teenager tried to stand up. Gently he pressed the 16-year-old down by her shoulders. He saw the pain written all over her pretty face.

"You mustn't stand up, young one. You are too weak and your injuries are too grave. Please don't argue with me and lay down again.", Obi-Wan said as kindly as he  could.

A confused girl looked into his face. " Where are we and why are you here?", she asked through her gritted teeth. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was in much pain.

"This is a long story, Kyah. I witnessed your so-called hearing and found out everything. Then, last night, after having treated your severe injuries, I broke into King Draju's bedroom. I tried to get the evidence, that confirmed you to be the heir of Dakona. When I got it, he woke up and tried to capture me, but I fled with you." Obi-Wan explained slowly. "When we reached the forest I found this hiding place and here we are.", he said while keeping his intense gaze on the teenager.

Kyah didn't know what to say. The Jedi helped her. He kept his promise. Nobody ever would have done this for her except for her father. How could she even have thought, that this honest man was on Draju's side, now she really was embarrassed. 

"Thank you,…" a low voice said

"Obi-Wan, remember? He said encouragingly.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. I wished, that I could express my gratitude…I owe you everything. I thought, that I couldn't trust you. Thank you for proving, that my feeling was wrong. Thank you for treating my wounds, thank you for not leaving me alone and thank you for believing me!" she said and gave the surprised Jedi a warm hug.

Obi-Wan returned the hug shyly and patted her back. After all she was just a child. Suddenly she took a sharp breath and tried to suppress a wince, but she couldn't. How could he have been so stupid? He shouldn't have touched her hurt back. So, very carefully, he laid her down again.

"Are you in much pain?", he asked guiltily. 

"Well, yes. My ribs are hurting, my knee is burning like hell and my back is killing me. But the burns I received during my "hearing" seem to have healed thanks to you again." She said and tried to smile at the concerned Jedi. Suddenly she realized, that she wearing his tunic. She looked down and was relieved to find her torn pants covering her legs and her injured knee.

" I thought, that you would feel more comfortable by wearing something, that covers your upper-body.", he said sheepishly. "Your knee is broken, but I was able to fix the torn and lose ligaments with the force. Your ribs are broken, but with a bit rest they will heal fine. The burns are all healed, but the welts on your back were very deep. The bacta could close them, but they are still looking very angry. You should be in a bacta tank!", he finished resolutely.

" I thought, that Jedi were warriors. How come that you know so much about the healing art?", she asked curiously never turning her green eyes away from Obi-Wan.

"All Jedi are healers. We can be warriors, but want to be considered as diplomats. We all receive a certain training in curing injuries. Masters need to be able to help their Padawans- apprentices- when they are wounded during a mission…", his voice trailed off. Now he had to think of his Master. How he wished, that Qui-Gon was here…

He was brought back to reality by a strange sound coming from outside.

"Kyah, listen we've got to move! Do you know any place, where we can go. I know, that you can't walk, so I'm going to carry you.", he said urgently. The girl shut her mouth by regarding the expression of Kenobi's face. Now wasn't the time to argue.

"Yes, we could go to my supporters. There is a camp in the north of this forest, I can lead you there."

Tbc…


	11. deceiving transperency

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 10: deceiving transparency

Qui-Gon sat in cockpit. Ani was sleeping in his cabin. The boy was so much like Obi-Wan, when he was young, eager to learn, a warm personality, quick with his lightsabre, but plagued by insecurities and anxieties- a normal teenager. The Council no longer feared, that Anakin was a menace for the whole order. After Naboo the clouded future became a readable and sunny one. Naboo, a strange experience. The encounter with the Sith. His former Padawan almost lost his life during the battle, that seemed somehow to have decided the fate of Anakin. It seemed as if Anakin would have been lost, if  Obi-Wan hadn't won it. Qui-Gon hadn't  never really understood the connection of their destinies during the mission on Naboo. He always had the impression that he had been a puppet hanging on a very thin thread. But maybe he just had a very vivid imagination. He had to take a vacation with Anakin, when they would return from Dakona. Maybe they should visit Shmi, who started a new life on Alderaan after being freed by the Jedi.

Qui-Gon cursed himself. How could he sit still and think about a vacation, when Obi-Wan was in danger? He was frustrated. He knew, that Obi-Wan was still alive, he felt it over their bond, but they were too far away to communicate over it. His blue eyes stared empty into the cold space. There was a suffocating silence in the cockpit. It seemed as if the silence crushed him. When Obi-Wan had been a teenager he cherished those quiet moments because he hadn't been sure about the headstrong Kenobi. He held Obi-Wan captive in his silent world. He had never spoken to the boy privately or about his thoughts, emotions, just had considered the boy as a student and not as a friend, not as a son. But during the years Obi-Wan had wormed his way into Qui-Gon's heart and had been Qui-Gon's salvation after Xanatos' turning to the dark side. The Master sighed. Eight days of pressing silence lay ahead. But with Anakin he would survive this trip, that cost the last brown strands of his hair. Seven days to go…

** Palace…**

King Draju gathered his soldiers, subjects and bounty hunters around him. The ruler stood on his balcony and regarded his people.  He wanted to extinct  the Jedi and this girl as soon as possible. He knew, that he only had seven days left to get rid of those two people, but he had his sources in the rows of his opponents. With that sum of money on their heads, they would be lucky to make it to the rebels. He sent the whole underworld of Dakona on their heels. And his subjects couldn't deny, that the money was enough to live without any sorrows. They would be denounced very soon. He turned his head and faced the waiting mass.

" I have come before you in order to explain the matter of finding the Jedi and the girl. The one, who finds them and brings them to me awaits a life without any worries or sorrows. The one, who captures this scum during the next seven days will experience my full gratitude during the rest of his life.", he spoke in a strong and harsh voice. He would get them and nobody would detect anything. When he got the evidence back, he would burn it instantly and not a single soul would discover the hidden truth again. He turned and went to the throne room. He couldn't stand it to face the dirty and stinking people. His potato-like nose took a deep breath, when he reached the chamber. Lazily he sat down on his comfortable throne. He was confident, that the two would be found in the next seven days. He grinned evilly at himself and his brown eyes stared madly into nothing. He rubbed his hands together. He was so good, too good. Suddenly laughter erupted from his frame. It was filled with hate, insanity and darkness, that seemed to creep through the walls of the palace and to cover the whole planet in a thick blanket…

**Forest…***

Obi-Wan carried the girl in his arms all day and night, but they only could move very slowly. He couldn't shut her pain out for long. But Kyah reassured him, that they would reach the camp soon and that she could handle the paralysing pain. Her thick cherry-red hair was covered with sweat and it cost her much effort to stay calm and not to cry out. Obi-Wan knew it, but he didn't say a word, he didn't want to crush the girl's pride so he kept silent. He was wearing his brown cloak, which was getting heavier with each step he made. The heat was only bearable because of the moisture in the forest. But it forced it's tribune. They both were exhausted.

"Only a few more miles to go, Obi-Wan. When we reach the camp the hunt will be over!", she said in a sleepy voice.

"Or it just will begin.", Obi-Wan added grimly.

In times like these he knew from experience, that when he thought to be save, the real ordeal would just begin. Very carefully he made the way to the camp, trying to avoid as much movement as possible, so that the teenager was able to bear the pain. His warm-blue eyes took in everything. Kenobi wouldn't leave her safety to fortunate circumstances.

After a few more very difficult miles, they reached the camp. People came out of their tents and niches and collected themselves around the two newcomers. Among these people was Det, a close friend of Kyah. The blond-haired man's eyes widened in shock, when he caught glimpse of her condition. What had she gone through? 

"Kyah, Kyah, what happened?", he asked with compassion. She couldn't answer, she slept in the stranger's arm. Det looked confused at him.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, I am a Jedi knight and your young friend here needs rest. She went through hell and is very weak. Do you have a healer here or any medical equipment?", he asked very fast.

Det looked even more confused than before.

"Yes sure, please follow me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Over there is the healer's tent.", Det slowly stuttered and led the Jedi to the open tepee-like tent. The old healer looked surprised at the Jedi and at his precious cargo. Quickly he moved over to him and helped to lay the girl very gently down. Obi-Wan stayed at her side, even when the healer ordered him to go outside, he refused to go. He insisted on helping him on the wounded 16-year-old. 

After a few hours a clean, neatly dressed and bandaged Kyah lay in a warm sleeping bag in the healer's tent and a vigilant Kenobi sat next to her. The so-called rebels were a peaceful bunch of diplomats and scientist, who were against the oppression of the king and didn't want to give as fast in as the rest of Dakota's population. He inhaled deeply and decided, that it would be the best to take a little nap. Tomorrow would be a long day.

Tbc…


	12. the chosen path

The Hidden Truth 

**Chapter 12: the chosen path**

** Thanks again for your encouraging reviews! It feels so good to read, that you like my story. So thank you, thank you, thank you! **

Her eyes fluttered open. She wasn't in pain and she felt so warm and comfortable. A frantic thought crossed her mind. 

"Oh my God! I must be dead!", her heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed hard.

"Kyah, lay still! You aren't dead, girl.", a nice voice came from the back-round.

"Don't make the healer's and my work undone with your movements.", Obi-Wan added sternly, when he came to the girl, dressed like a citizen of her planet. Kyah looked at him and seemed to understand. Slowly she turned her head and realised, that she was in her camp and that everything was alright. She let out a gasp and settled her head back onto the soft and cosy pillow. She knew, that she had to enjoy this moment of peace because it could be her last. Draju wouldn't give up.

"You were quiet a mess, my friend. But we took care of everything….", his voice trailed off and he looked very deep into her eyes, studying them. Then he began again.

 "I'd like to talk to you about a few things, but only if you feel up to it.", Kenobi waited until he saw a nod from the girl.

"It is not going to be easy for me to ask you that question, but do you think, that you will be save here? I know, that most of these people consider you as friend, but how far does this friendship go? Will they protect you with their lives or will they betray you when it comes to save their own heads? Well and then, you know Draju, what will be his next step?", he said in very low voice, so that only Kyah was able to understand him. He stroke his blond-red beard and waited patiently for the teenager to answer. She needed a bit time to cope with the given information. She knew too well, that her people had been sold before by some unknown individuals among her party. A long moment passed before she locked Obi-Wan's eyes with her eyes.

"I can trust most of them, but there might be a traitor among them. I am not sure, I'm sorry.", she tried lo loosen her gaze, but Obi-Wan caught her chin with his fingers and made her looking at him.

"You don't have to be sorry, there is no need for excuses. I chose my path on my own as well as you and your people. We all knew the consequences of our behaviour, so you are not in the position, which makes an excuse necessary. Do you understand?", he told her trying to sound convincingly. 

"Yes, Obi-Wan. I just wished, that nobody had to suffer because of me!", she sighed.

"I don't think, that Draju will give up. I am very certain, that he sent his whole army on our heels, including his precious bounty hunters. We are not save here and I don't want to endanger my supporters more, the best thing would be to leave in the morning and to find a save place.", she said heartbrokenly.

"Yes and then I am going to contact the temple and ask for back up.", he told her reassuringly. 

Kyah couldn't stand the depressive mood that, was circling around them, so she tried to light it a bit up.

"So you are a Jedi. Then tell me a bit about your life and your friends. Do you know your family?", she asked curiously. They spent the whole day chatting and laughing in the small tent. Obi-Wan told her everything. He told her of his very first mission on the Monument, Bandomeer, how his Master Qui-Gon and he defeated the fallen Jedi Xanatos, his childhood-bully Bruck, Bant, Garen and Reeft and of the variety of worlds he had seen in his life. But then it was her turn to tell Obi-Wan of her life. She smiled shyly and spoke about her life as a princess and her beloved father and how he was murdered by Draju. But she also told him of her good friends she found in those people, who lived here with her and of, course about Det. She always thought, that Det had a little crush on her, but maybe she was wrong. It was the way the man looked at her and behaved around her. Then a thought crossed her mind.

"Can we take Det with us? He is a very loyal friend and I can't leave him behind." She asked with a sincere almost child-like voice.

"Are you sure about him?"

"Yes I am. I know, who I can trust. I have a healthy knowledge of mankind.", she shot back.

"Alright, your majesty.", Obi-Wan teased her. I suppose we both go to sleep and rise early in the morning. Maybe I should inform Det about our conversation.", he stood up and searched the sand-haired man with deep brown eyes. Det wasn't much older than Kyah, he was 20, but he resembled with his boyish features more an immature teenager than an adult. When the Jedi found him and told him of his luck, Det just nodded and made an unreadable face. Obi-Wan frowned, but nevertheless trusted Kyah's estimation of the young man. A nagging bad feeling started to rise again in his stomach. Maybe he should try to contact the temple now. He went a bit more into the thick forest and pulled his comlink out of his pocket. It was so unusual not to wear the Jedi-Robes and he felt uncomfortable in this kind of clothing. He tried to get a connection, but he couldn't get one. Then he saw why. He lost the batteries. He cursed under his breath, why did he have to be so inattentive. Now he couldn't call for help. But he was sure, that Draju already called for it. This was a very dangerous situation. Maybe he could make an attempt to contact Qui-Gon over their bond, though he was light-years away from his former Master. He focused and gathered the force around him. Slowly he closed his eyes and sent as powerful as he could a mental message to old Qui-Gon Jinn. He hoped, that he reached his master and, that he would receive an answer…

**spaceship **

Qui-Gon Jinn was lying on his cot in his cabin. Suddenly he heard a call for help over his bond. His eyes snapped open and his heart was racing. He probed the force. Anakin was in the cockpit, so it could only be…Obi-Wan! Frantically he started to connect his mind with the force. He collected the power around him, so that he was completely one with it, then he gave it a powerful shove and tried to sent an answer to his missing son.

~ I am coming Obi-Wan, hold on!~

Tbc…


	13. twist and turns of fate

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 13: twist and turns of fate

** Spaceship **

Qui-Gon couldn't calm down anymore. He knew, that his boy needed him, but he couldn't help him. That was too much for the Jedi-Master. Obi-Wan gave him a few scares in the past, but this one was the most terrifying by far. Jinn was sure, that he would die of a heart attack during this flight. Anakin sensed his Master's distraction and stormed from the cockpit to his mentor's side. He realised just with a single look into his master's face, why he was so upset. The wrinkles in his wise face seemed to have deepen during the short flight of three days. Obi-Wan had to be in serious trouble. The boy shook his head. His "brother" was a magnet for trouble. His eyes got a sad expression. He didn't want to lose him-not now. Anakin cared to the knight very much. They did a lot of things together, they went sparring, meditated together, and Obi-Wan was the one, who taught him swimming. Kenobi even showed him how to play nasty tricks on their Master. Suddenly his shoulders began to shake. Ani couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He buried his face in Qui-Gon's tunic. This wasn't fair! It didn't matter right now, that he was a crying 14-year-old Padawan, all he wanted was to have his older brother at his side. Qui-Gon laid his chin on his Apprentice's head and closed his arms around the trembling frame of Anakin and tried to calm the boy.

"Obi-Wan will make it, Ani. He is strong in the force. These rebels can't do anything to him without a hard fight. He even fought with you because of his socks, remember?", Qui-Gon asked with a smirk.

Yes, he did. Anakin maintained, that these socks belonged to him, but Obi-Wan claimed, that those clean and fresh socks belonged to him. A very tough struggle began. They pulled out all the stops. And it ended with Obi-Wan's dirty socks in Anakin's pillow. That was awful and Ani never had a single argument with Kenobi again, it was too dangerous. The teenager shuddered and stopped crying. There were only six days to go and he knew, that the Knight would survive these very long days. This wasn't a feeling, this was knowledge.

** forest**

"Det, look at me when I am talking to you! Where are you going? I want to have an answer, right now!", a shrill female voice spoke in a hushed voice to the young man.

" I am going with the Jedi and Kyah. I'm going to show them a secure hiding place. Where they can wait for help from the Republic or where the can form a new plan how to bet the king. How shall I know this, please leave me alone. I've already said too much!" Det wanted to yell, but didn't want to wake the whole camp.

"I only want to protect you from any harm, please stay and let them die alone. She deserves it anyway!"

"How can you say that? She is a good girl! She just dislikes our king and she has enough good reasons for it."

"If king Draju knew of all that!", Edi acted dramatically. " Please just tell me where I can find you, please, Det!", she said in a begging tone.

"I will propose to head for the ghost villages in the east. But don't tell a soul of it, do you understand?", he said in an alarming harsh voice. The brown-haired woman nodded and left her opposite alone. She would lose a dear person, if she didn't do anything. This with was going to bring disaster on Det. She had to stop it.

Morning had broken, so Obi-Wan shook the snoozing girl awake.

"Kyah, you've got to stand up, we have a long walk in front of us.", he said very quietly. A loud moan erupted from her mouth and with that she was awake. The tent opened and Det entered it. There he stood with his back covered with a gigantic rucksack. Obi-Wan eyed the man closely, but wasn't able to detect anything suspicious.

"Kyah come on! We have to leave!", Kenobi said again in an urgent tone.

"But I can't walk with my knee!", she snapped back. 

"Yes you can, the healer said, that it was completely healed, bacta is such a wonderful thing! Now get your butt out of the sleeping bag and rise!", he commanded impatiently. He would become a great Master with this choice of words. How often had his Master said these words to him? He missed him very much, he missed Ani, too and maybe Jar-Jar, but just a little bit. He was feeling homesick, for the first time in his life. When his thoughts came back to reality a fully dressed and ready, but tired girl stood in front of him. They left immediately. Det proposed to the old villages in the east. These were little ghost towns and nobody set foot into them because the people thought, that these villages were haunted by the spirits of their ancestors. This idea sounded good, but Obi-Wan wasn't so sure about this young man. He seemed to be dubious. When they left, they didn't see the shadow, that hid behind a tree. Obi-Wan shook this feeling of. He had to trust the young man.

"What did you tell your sister, Det?", Kyah broke the silence.

"Oh, em, Edi? Em, nothing, why?"

"Just curious. Obi-Wan, you've got to know, that she can't stand me. She hates me for spending more time with her brother than she does." Kyah said with a wry smile on her lips.

"Oh Ky! You can't say that. She doesn't hate you! She just does not like you very much.", he defended is elder sister.

"Sure you can put it this way, but it is just a euphemism. By the way, Obi-Wan, my friends don't call me Kyah, they just call me Ky." She turned to look at the Jedi, who was lost in his thoughts.

"Oh, of course, Ky. So, tell me Det how long will this journey take?", he asked the younger man, whom he doubted to be sincere.

"Four, maybe five days. This is a large and thick forest. Some parts of it are even wild jungle, it will be a hard way to the villages. But what are we going to do there? I mean you are just one Jedi, you cannot fight the war alone.", Det tried to hide his curiousness, but he wasn't able to.

"We'll see. I tried to contact my Master yesterday evening over our training bond. It seemed to be a success, because I received an answer. He is on his way.", Obi-Wan told the two. He could speak about this matter, because if Det attempted to betray them, he could reach Qui-Gon again and warn him, but the strange feeling about him was getting more distant. The stench of betrayal only seemed to exist in the camp, but somehow this whole issue was linked to Det, he couldn't explain it. He would monitor Det, all their way. Their was more about him, than his eyes could tell. The nagging feeling remained in the back of his mind, never leaving him. He had to pay attention.

Tbc…


	14. gaining new insights

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 14:  gaining new insights

** I do not want to get into trouble with a German TV-channel. So I don not own the names Edi and Det. I borrowed them from the "Mainzelmännchen" (do not ask further questions), because I was too uncreative to invent new names. Sorry for the delay of this chapter, but I got problems with my computer he ate up my whole chapter 14!! The I was too frustrated to write it once more and went to cinema.**

** Palace**

Time was running out. Draju knew, that there were only four days, left until the transport reached the atmosphere of Dakona, his planet. The last five days his men spent searching for the missing rebel and Jedi. But they vanished without a trace. The ruler was furious, for this inaccurate search the guilty person would be found and punished. His mood was beginning to improve, now that he could torture someone.  It would be a good  step into the breach. Suddenly a guard steeped in front of his throne.

"Your Majesty! A woman wants to speak to you. She said it was about the brat and the Jedi." He said in a loud voice.

"Bring her to me and let her speak!", the king ordered almost cheerfully.

A hooded  woman came into his view, she went very slowly towards the king and bowed respectfully, her grey eyes never leaving the ground.

"My King! I am here to tell you of  the destination of Kyah Tara and the Jedi. But first of all I want to tell you, that my family had always shown loyalty to the crown. Only my brother stumbled from the path. He is on his way with those two criminals. But it isn't his fault, he was enchanted by this witch, he is young and in love, so please spare him!", she said, her voice full of affection.

"You are not in the position to demand anything….!" The king said icily

"My name is Edi Bignis, your Honour.", and with that she took off her hood and revealed her face and brown hair to the king. She bowed once again to show  her respect, but she became a bit frightened by the sudden outburst of the ruler.

" I think I am..", she said unsure, "Because I was the one, who denounced the other rebels, you were behind. So you should give me some credit. With the money, you set on their heads my brother and I… we can start a new life, I will teach him to honour you, you must believe me!", she said almost frantically.

"Hahaha, naïve little girl. Do you think, that I am only behind Kyah? I am behind all of you rebels! My first aim is to get rid of my opposition. A few days ago, I thought, that I could seduce the population with money to betray the rebels. But my people shut their mouths. They gained new hope and hope is invaluable. A few days ago I thought I could have the brat being executed in public, but the Jedi prevented it! By killing only those two I will make martyrs out of them. A new rebel will play leader and will lead a revolution. No I have to crush the rising hope. I have to get rid of every rebel, male or female, child or adult. You can die suffering or have a quick death. Tell me and you will die instantly, refuse to speak and you will get to know , what violence is!", he spat out manically.

Edi shook her head unbelievingly. She turned her head trying to spy an exit. But soldiers blocked her way out. Now she knew, why Kyah hated this man above all. He was insane. 

"Captain, take her to the room next door!", the ruler ordered in a sharp tone

A soldier came to her, took her arm rudely behind her back and led her to the dark chamber next to the throne-room. Edi was chained to something, that she couldn't make out. The room was frightening all those instruments and chains. She was sure, that Kyah had been here, too. What had Edi done? She just wanted to protect her brother from the spoilt princess, whom she made responsible for their parents' death two years ago.

Then they had accommodated the orphan in their house. Det had a crush on her at the moment he saw her. He only spoke of her from this day on and seemed to love her more than his own sister. Edi felt locked-out. Kyah always knew, that she was something better and spoke proudly of her heritage, she hated her for all that. Two months later Edi's mother took her daughter aside only to tell her, that she should watch after her brother and Kyah and that she should flee with them into the rain-forest. The next thing she heard of her parents was, that they had been murdered by Draju's soldiers because of helping the girl. 

Edi became apathetically and withdrew her mind into the last corner of her body. She lied to Draju, when she told him of the loyalty to the king. Her parents only were loyal to the rightful king of the planet and not to him. But she saw everything so clear now. She was envious and her dark emotions led her to Draju and a unpreventable massacre. Then another truth hit her. She broke her pledge to her mother! What kind of person was she? She would have sold her soul to betray Kyah and the only thing she reached was to betray herself and to get herself killed. But now she wouldn't say a word, she would not even flinch. She closed her eyes and smiled convincingly at the king, who was mad, by regarding her behaviour. Then the man dressed in red came into the room, now it was Draju's time to smile reassuringly. He followed his subject, or to be more precise his object to the young woman and gave her a slap. The room had thick walls, was dark. It was only filled with the mute screams of prisoners, that seemed to echo in the room. The red man looked like Lucifer in person. But she wouldn't give in. She would honour her family and now even Kyah because she was the only one, who could stop the king. This was a late insight, but she felt, that it was the only thought, that could rescue her from hell. She closed her eyes once again. She had to hold on a few more days to give the group a bit more time to develop a plan to destroy the ruler of Dakona. Her fear was replaced by determination. Then the first stroke of the unmerciful whip fell, but she stood still.

Tbc…


	15. the belief in the force

The Hidden Truth 

Chapter 15: the belief in the force

** spaceship and only four days to go**

Qui-Gon hadn't heard anything from Obi-Wan in the last two days. He knew, that his former Padawan was alive, but he couldn't tell more. Anakin stayed close to his Master during those hard days. He didn't want to leave his teacher alone, he had to be strong for Qui-Gon. That was the first time, that mentor and apprentice switched roles. Most of the time Master Jinn had to comfort Anakin and not vice versa. Qui-Gon was a good father, the only father Anakin had ever known and he tried to fill the hole in the boy's heart. But Ani longed for his Mom, it had been two years since his last visit. Often, Qui-Gon woke up in the night and heard the teenager sobbing in his room, but he had always managed to calm the boy down. Young Skywalker wrapped an arm around his Master and leaned against him. Obi-Wan was a grown-up and a Jedi. A few years ago Ani had thought, that no one could kill a Jedi. He smiled bitterly at his own ignorance. 

On Naboo he had been taught better. Obi-Wan almost lost his life to save Qui-Gon. But there had been something else behind all this. Something elusive. Anakin never told a soul about his dream, but it had been so real. Maybe it had been a force vision. He dreamt, that the Naboo won the battle, that he destroyed the control-ship, but that the older Jedi had lost his life and the younger one disappeared. Then darkness crept over the galaxy and suffocated all the light….

He thought, that it would be time to talk about the issue, after this mission he would talk to Obi-Wan and listen to his point of view. Qui-Gon felt the distraction of the boy.

"What's wrong, Ani?", he asked carefully and looked deep into the youngster's eyes.

"Em, Master well,…" he tried to formulate the awkward matter. He didn't want to lie to his Master. "I just remembered the battle of Naboo.", he said faking a small smile. This wasn't a lie, but not precisely the truth. But he couldn't stand Qui-Gon's penetrating stare any longer. So he confessed. 

"Thought of your fight with the Sith.", he spoke slowly concentrating on every single word, that left his mouth. It seemed as if he was chewing the words.

"That night before the struggle, I had a rather vivid force vision. I saw, the victory of the Naboo, I destroyed the control-ship of the Trade-Federation. But… but I saw you and Obi-Wan losing the fight against the Sith. You were struck down by the evil creature and Obi-Wan fell into something and disappeared. I never told anybody of this vision or dream. But somewhere, in a corner of my mind, I feel,… that is somehow real,… so near and touchable.  I can't explain it, I am sorry, Master.", he looked to Qui-Gon, expecting to see disappointment in his face, but there was only understanding. Surprise crossed Anakin's features.

"Ani, you don not have to feel sorry. I have the same feeling about Naboo. Our destinies, I mean yours, Obi-Wan's, mine, and even more, formed a web or a kind of chain. By severing one element of the chain, a lot of other elements would have been lost with it- gone forever…", he eyed Ani, who sat there with an open mouth and didn't seem to understand.

"What I want to say is, that if the Sith killed one of us, a lot of other people would have died, too. I can't explain it either. The force had been our strongest ally. But nevertheless do I think, that Obi-Wan had a stronger connection to it all, than we could even imagine. The way he acted that very day, it had been as if he knew more… I never told him of my suspicion and never gave it a second thought, until now. This long voyage robs my last nerves and the last strands of my brown hair. When I started to train Obi-Wan, my hair was full and brown and now look at it… When Obi-Wan is on Coruscant, save and healthy, we have to speak about it. He is a link…" Qui-Gon's voice trailed off. Anakin nodded his head and encouraged Qui-Gon to tell him more. But he stopped. If the master couldn't get the whole situation right, how could he expect, that a 14-year-old boy would understand it.

"Master,  what did the council exactly tell you about this mission?", the boy changed the direction of the conversation.

"Mace told me to bring back his spaceship, you know the new one.", Qui-Gon couldn't hide a smile.

"It seems to be a tradition, that the Apprentices of the great Qui-Gon Jinn crash his transports. So why does he give them to us?, Ani added grinning.

"Only the force knows why, Ani…", Qui-Gon said in a low voice.

If he only knew of the whereabouts of his former Padawan and his well-being. This waiting and being passive was gnawing at his now thin nerves. Ani tried his best to divert him a bit, but there was a point, where it wasn't helpful anymore. Qui-Gon hoped, that the Temple would send them facts of the planet, about the ruler, the rebels and the people, to get a better touch of the whole atmosphere on Dakona. Only four more days…

Tbc…


	16. the heat of the moment

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 16: the heat of the moment  

** If found the last chapter to be weird, don't blame me because my beta-buddy went on strike! Thanks again ** grumble**. I need to find a new one, any volunteers? I'm not kidding!**

** Forest**

Obi-Wan observed Det very closely. They had been walking for three very long and exhausting days. Kyah seemed to be a bit wobbly a few times, but she was progressing fine and not complaining or whining. 

The large trees cast shadows on the three walking figures, which was a relief for them because of the intensity of the sun. But with the sun almost every ray of light was blocked out of the jungle.

"A bit creepy, isn't it?", Kyah asked in an unsure voice. Obi-Wan looked at the girl. Sometimes she seemed to be so mature and other times she let the child peek through her features- a growing teenager. Det played the gentleman and moved closer to her offering her his protection and hand. 

"If you think, that this place is a bit spooky, wait for the ghost-villages. Their enchanted!", then Det added a faked evil laughter. Obi-Wan seemed to get a headache, he moved a hand to his aching temple and regarded the scene in front of him. A hardly grown-up boy tried to impress the girl by frightening her. Had he ever been like that? He hated to interrupt this mating ritual of the young man, but he couldn't help.

"Det? How long do we have to walk from now on?, he asked annoyed.

"A day maybe two." Det raised a brow.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. The whole trip was coined by Det's immature behaviour, but Kyah was playing along. For the lad everything was a game, he didn't understand the seriousness of it, at all. 

They went deeper into the jungle and the nagging bad feeling started to rise again. Suddenly Kenobi felt cold and he knew, that something wasn't right. The knight shivered involuntary. He didn't trust Det in the beginning, but after spending a couple of days with the lad, Obi-Wan was sure, that he wasn't capable of moving against Kyah- his love. A hand dropped to his lightsabre, that was attached to his belt. Something was awaiting them in the darkness. The evil was somewhere out there.

Suddenly a person jumped from a high tree, it was a scout of the king. The archer reached for his weapon, and started to fire arrows. But the blue blade was a blur and cut all the nasty arrows before they could harm anybody. When the archer realised, that he couldn't do anything against the Jedi, he ran off, but Obi-Wan was on his heels and brought the clumsy man to fall. Maybe he wasn't a soldier of the king because he wasn't trained very well in the way of arms- and he too old. 

"Please, Sir, don't kill me!", the old man begged.

"Be sure that I won't do anything to do, old man. Why are you here and who sent you?" Obi-Wan asked in a stern voice.

"The king set a high amount of money on your heads. It would be enough to live the rest of my life without any debts or worries. I thought, that this place would be a welcomed hiding-place for you. So I came here. Nobody sent me and nobody will get to know, if you let me go, please Sir.", the old man seemed to start to cry. So Obi-Wan let him go. He knew, that the old man wasn't the reason for his shivering body. There was something else… hard to express, elsewhere. The archer hurried off as fast as he could.

"Obi-Wan, what do you think you are doing? You are helping him to escape? He will denounce us!", a furious female voice screamed in the back-round. 

"He won't do anything. He learned his lesson and besides, he has a long journey home, we will be far away, when, **IF** he comes back with reinforcement.", the Jedi said confident.

"Your arrogance is our downfall, Obi-Wan!", she told him icily into his emotionless face.

"You should trust my judgement as you should trust yours. We have to find compromises in order to survive and I won't kill a starving old man, who tries to get his family out of any misery, my little princess.", with this statement he ended the loud conversation. Det stood in the middle of the two and looked a bit helpless. This was the first real argument between the Jedi and Kyah. She was headstrong and used to the fact, that everything went like she wanted to have it. She didn't mean to kill the man. But for sure, she wanted, that the old guy stayed silent and therefore had to spent a certain amount of time with the group. This wasn't lack of compassion, this was her will to endure the situation. He was a Jedi and didn't like to explain his actions, the so-called "force" told him to perform. They weren't so different. They both searched the confrontation and didn't like it to be disregarded. Their egos couldn't stand that. Det opened his mouth to speak.

"Maybe we should camp here for the night and rise early in the morning.", but he was ignored. Kyah and Obi-Wan strode deeper into the jungle.

He paced behind them. The atmosphere was tensioned. He wondered, what is sister was doing now….

Tbc…


	17. the inescapability of fate

The Hidden Truth  
  
Chapter 17: the inescapability of fate  
  
**Palace**  
  
Edi laid in a corner of her prison. Her grey eyes were dull and lost any sparkle. She looked haunted. Blood was glued to her face, body and brown hair. Only with precise regard, someone could see, that she was taking ragged breaths and still alive. She was so still. She was challenging Draju's patience because, she didn't tell him a word about the remaining of the wanted persons. Even if she didn't like Kyah, she realised, that the girl was the only one, who could stop this mad man from massacring the whole population. A small groan escaped her battered form, when she tried to shift her position. She was going to die, nobody could her save her now from her fate. She knew of her determined and unchangeable destiny, but she accepted it. Nevertheless she was afraid. Her injuries were severe and with the constant torture she wouldn't make it through the next week. Of course, she could betray her brother and his companions, but this wasn't an option she supposed to chose. She refused to say anything, she even didn't make a sound during her torment. This was what king Draju made furious. The fact, that she didn't scream out in pain, made everything worse for her because she didn't give him his wanted satisfaction. She wouldn't let a single sound slip from her mouth. They could chain her to this cell, they could torture her with each nasty instrument, but they would not break her will, she would not betray her beloved brother.  
  
Two drunk guards neared the cell. They were talking very loud to each other and seemed to stagger.  
  
"Come on, scum stand up and follow us!", the first one said hiccupping to the woman.  
  
"Yes, the King is waiting for you in his guestroom!", the other one blabbered back  
  
"This was a great joke, Agricus!", the first laughed, his breath full of alcohol and foulness.  
  
They pulled the fragile woman to her feet and pushed her to the long cold floor, which led to the main building of the palace. If she hadn't been so weak, she would have fled by now. Edi tried to concentrate on the long walk. She would face the king standing.  
  
When they arrived in front of the throne-room. They soldiers tried to compose themselves and to look sober. They straightened their uniforms and became more violent to their prisoner. The door opened and the three went in. The fat king was sitting in his throne, which he loved more than anything else. He was glancing at Edi and mocked her by making a faked compassionate face.  
  
"So my young friend, will you speak now? Or do you chose to stay silent?", the despot said waiting a few more moments to speak again. He knew, that this mute object in front of him was his last chance to get the two wanted persons, but he couldn't show it to Edi. He had to act as if he had another triumphs somewhere in his sleeves. Deep down inside of him he was a desperate man, a volcano, who was going to explode, if he didn't get a suitable answer of this prisoner. But his outer appearance would even have fooled his mother. If he didn't get an answer with violence alone, he had to stop his fair-play and had to intersperse the game with some fouls. He was going to bluff.  
  
" I suppose, that I won't get an answer from you. Well it doesn't matter anymore. I know, where our friends are." He said and looked back at her. Edi's grey eyes were becoming big and her mouth started to shake.  
  
"I will send an army after them and destroy them and after their death I will defeat the rest of you!", he said grinning like a devil. Edi cleared her throat and dared to speak. She was too weak too realise the intention of the monster.  
  
"Who told you?", she asked in an almost inaudible voice.  
  
"My scouts spied them… ", he only hoped, that the woman in front of him was losing her nerves. He watched her carefully, when she dropped to her knees.  
  
"I told Det, that he shouldn't go with them, I told him, that you would know their destination before they could reach it." she sobbed. The king was reaching his aim step by step.  
  
So they were still on their way. The king pressed a bit more. He had only three days left before the ship with the other Jedi arrived and by then Obi- Wan Kenobi and Kyah had to be cold and buried.  
  
"What a wise advice, you gave your brother, but it won't save you or little Det. You failed, Darling!", he said with a very deep voice. This was too much for the hurt Edi.  
  
"Please, Det forgive me!" she cried through the room. "I shouldn't have let you go with Kyah. I told you not to got to the ghost-villages! Come back, come back!", she yelled into the emptiness.  
  
King Draju shook his head, he was so good. It only would take three days to get to the villages from the palace, but they would be enough to get rid of the two! NO! Three rebels  
  
  
  
Tbc… 


	18. there is no passion, there is serenity

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 18: there is no passion, there is serenity

**Again thank you for the reviews. You guys are the best!**

**Forest**

There was a icy silence between Obi-Wan and Kyah and with every step deeper into the jungle the dark mood was rising more and more. The two were stubborn and headstrong, nobody would give in first. Obi-Wan only spoke, when he felt it to be necessary. He was still feeling very cold and he was sure, that it hadn't got anything to do with the shadowy forest  As a Jedi he learned to trust and to use his instincts. The nearer they came to the ghost-villages, the colder he got. But now he had to focus. It was a rough path they were walking on and it was a dangerous one. Det couldn't stand the deadly atmosphere anymore, so he spoke again.

"I think we should take a rest.", he said with an unnerved voice. Obi-Wan just nodded and watched for a spot, where he could sit down. Kyah did the same, but she made sure, that she wouldn't sit too close to Kenobi. She couldn't forget, what he called her yesterday. _"Little Princess!"_, who did the Jedi think, he was? They were both in a huff. Det took a look at them and suddenly his anger erupted.

"You are behaving like children!", he said in an annoyed voice!

"Kyah, you are supposed to be the future leader of our planet. Do you think this kind of acting, does benefit your reputation of being a wise and sensible girl? And you Knight Kenobi? You are a Jedi, but first of all an adult and praised yourself as our only hope to survive this catastrophe. Then please compose yourself and be a help and work constructive. I'm sure, that there were a few misunderstandings yesterday, but now you two  will get your things together and behave like normal people. Not only our lives, but also he lives of innocent men and women, children depend on the outcome of this situation. Remember? We still don't have a clue how to save our own butts, so now talk!", Det breathed hard after his yelling fit and his head became lobster-red. But he was right. For the first time during this trip the young man was acting mature and behaved as an equal. Obi-Wan was impressed. Under the surface of the blond-haired, childish Det was a strong and sensitive man. The Knight smiled and shot Det a look of respect.

"Kyah I'm sorry, for my unprofessional behaviour. I agree with your friend, we have to draw a plan of our actions. I will try to contact my Master over our bond and see if he can gather some important information about Draju's action in the meantime.", Obi-Wan fought with himself, should he tell the others of his bad feeling about the situation or did he just help flame the panic among them? But they should know of his feelings…

"There is something else. My instincts tell me, that something awaits us on our way, something evil! Ky, I know, that this is hard for you, but do you have any clue, how your uncle will proceed?", he asked in a compassionate voice, that fit more to the Jedi.

"First of all, Obi-Wan, I want to say, that I'm sorry for my acting.", she shrugged with her shoulders. "If he found out, where we are or were, he will send his best trained soldiers and bounty-hunters to kill us. But nobody knew, where we were heading for, except the three of us.", she stated calmly.

There was a big lump in Det's throat and he had to swallow hard.

"Well… em…this is not correct. Another person knew of our destination." He said with a faked smile. Obi-Wan shook his head, how could his picture of this personality change in a few moments so drastically? Det just destroyed all his bonus credits, he gained a few minutes ago by his performance of an adult.

"My sister, Edi, knew of it, but she wouldn't tell it a soul. I made sure about that." He stuttered.

"Det why, did you do that?", Kyah asked, not believing, what she just heard.

"She was concerned for us. I only wanted to calm her down!" he defended himself.

"Enough of that! This discussion won't lead to anything. We have to hurry, because now we know, that the soldiers are close on our heels. With a bit luck my Master will arrive in time and helps us to save your people. If I counted correctly, there is only one day to go, right?"

Det nodded but kept silent. In Kyah's green eyes were sparkling unshed tears. What had Edi done?

Tbc…


	19. the show will go gon

The Hidden Truth 

** I have a new beta-reader, and he did a wonderful job. Thank you Scott! **

Chapter 19: the show will go on

**Palace**

Draju gathered his soldiers. This Edi Bignis had told him all he had to know. Now she was useless, but he would keep her alive to witness the death of her brother… She was still laying in front of him shaking to her core. She cried until no more tears were left. The King chose to ignore her constant form of whining; instead, he inspected his troops and declared,

"my soldiers! At last we know where these terrorists are heading for! They are travelling to the ghost-towns!" A murmur went through the rows of the strong guards. This was a fact that scared even these "brave" and "intelligent" guards. Again the King chose to ignore the disturbing noise and continued with his heroic speech.

"The one of you who kills them will be rewarded with wealth, but the one who brings them alive before me will not only be rewarded with wealth, but also with my gratitude." He laid stress on the word gratitude and forced his mouth in to a smile. The soldiers knew what this gratitude meant: A courtly life, as many women as they wanted and enough alcohol to drink.

"But the only condition of my offer is that you'll capture them in the next three days!" Then he clapped his hands and bellowed "let the hunt begin!" The men stormed out of the palace, all motivated by the promises of their ruler and each one of them was carrying a more dangerous weapon than the person in front of them. Draju watched the hasty actions from his throne and was pleased. Now his niece would learn that he would always win and get his will. It would only take some time. His fingers started to itch. How long had he longed for the moment to kill Kyah with his own hands? He regarded his flesh and made some warming-up movements. His creepy eyes suddenly spotted the woman on the floor again. 

"You will never succeed, Draju! Kyah will find a way to defeat your darkness and I'm looking forward to the day that I meet you in hell," she spat out. She wasn't afraid any more because nobody could inflict more pain on her than she had done on herself in deciding to go to the tyrant.

Enraged, he kicked her in her side and she coughed blood. Maybe he wouldn't wait to let her watch her brother die. But, on the other hand, making her suffer more for her lack of cooperation. . .

"Guards, take her to her cell," he yelled in to the room.

**Forest**

The trio hurried through the jungle. Obi-Wan always had a hand on his lightsabre and was ready to defend the group. Det had a blaster hidden in his backpack. Kyah hated any kind of weapon, but this time Det had been right to carry one with him. They had to pay attention to their environment and the group had to move as if they were one person. The Jedi tried to explain that serenity had priority and that  they couldn't use any fear or even worse panic right now. Kyah felt stiff and her leg began to hurt again, but she couldn't let her focus slip. Sweat was flowing down her nose and her teeth were clenched; nevertheless, she didn't even wince. 

"I think we can stop here for a few moments," Obi-Wan told the other two.

"I don't sense any danger right now, so try to relax a bit," he added, looking into Kyah's tight face. Kenobi wandered to a tree and climbed a few branches. He needed to be alone for a while and to call his master. He shut his blue eyes and inhaled deeply. The Force was his ally and it collected itself like a cloud around the Jedi. Then, he prepared a message in his mind in order to send it light-years through the galaxy. 

~Master, they are trying to kill us~ 

He couldn't send more because it was too exhausting, though it had been easier than the last time! His master was nearing the planet fast. Obi-Wan enjoyed this private moment before he slowly made his way back to the ground. The ginger-haired Jedi was sure that his Master would make it in time and within a couple of days, they would be able to communicate over their bond again. But the bits and pieces had to be enough for now…

Tbc..


	20. crossing the plans

The Hidden Truth 

Chapter 20: crossing the plans

** Thanks again for your nice reviews! I love them!**

** shuttle**

~Master, they are trying to kill us!~

Qui-Gon's head jerked up from where he was reading data files about the planet and its political system. His hands started to tremble. What were these rebels doing to him and to the other hostages? But he wasn't told of any other hostages by the Council. Qui-Gon sighed. With every day that passed, he felt more helpless. If Qui-Gon only knew of the circumstances of his former Padawan's disappearance. Slowly but surely he was feeling hate for the rebel scum who attacked the king and the Jedi so recklessly. He clenched his fists and fired the datapad across the room, then went to his bed and sat down putting his head in his hands. The situation became more and more dangerous and he was running out of time. 

"Master, Master! I have an idea how we can speed up our voyage!"

Qui-Gon looked up as Anakin stormed into his mentor's cabin. The 14-year-old teenager was excited to tell his proposal to his teacher. The weary looking older Jedi acknowledged Ani with a small nod as he didn't trust his voice right now. 

"In this sector of the galaxy, there are a lot of anomalies, worm holes and supernovas. We have to leave hyperspace and watch out for a supernova, so that we can surf on the wave of the explosion," the apprentice babbled like a waterfall.

"So we could cut a day or maybe even one and a half days. I know that this could be very dangerous, but it's worth a try, don't you think?" the nervous apprentice waited expectantly for an answer from his Master. He started to fidget, another trait that made him comparable to the great Obi-Wan.

"Ani, are you sure about this? It sounds logical, but in this action lies a lot of danger. We can be blasted into a million pieces if the wave is too strong or if we are too close to it." He looked up tiredly at his student and stroke his grey beard.

"I am certain that it will work and no risk, no fun! Don't forget, Master, I raced pods," he grinned mischievously. The blond boy raced into the cockpit to prepare the exit from hyperspace. Only the fact that they would arrive at the surface of the planet earlier finally convinced the aging Master as he stood up and joined Ani in the Cockpit. Buttons blinked in different colours and alarm sounds screamed in high tones, but they ignored the noises around them. They focused on the here and now and tried to locate a supernova. A few minutes later, Anakin's blue eyes snapped open.

"Master, over there!" Ani  pointed with a finger in the direction and piloted the ship towards the imploding star.

"Anakin, don't look into the light when the star implodes, do you understand," Qui-Gon asked in a severe voice as he took Ani's chin in his gigantic hands. Anakin stared for a few seconds at Qui-Gon and finally gave a small nod. 

"Welcome on board of Skywalker Spaceline. This is your captain speaking. Please remain seated during the whole flight and fasten your seatbelts. I'm afraid that there aren't any emergency exits, but have a good voyage," Ani said delightfully and got a small smile from Qui-Gon. Suddenly there was a bright beam of light, but both covered their eyes with their hands. Tensely, they watched the shock wave approaching. Qui-Gon heard Anakin swallow hard only a few seconds before the blast arrived and took the spacecraft with it. It was working! They were surfing on the shock wave as on a wave of an ocean. A heavy weight fell from Ani's shoulders and  he wiped away the sweat that was pouring down his face and seemed to say a thanksgiving prayer. Jinn didn't understand the mumbled and hushed words that Anakin spoke; maybe they were huttese. They were going faster and faster and were being pressed back into their seats. With this kind of speed, they would arrive on Dakona in only a day, a whole day earlier than they were expected. Young Skywalker was a clever person and Qui-Gon thanked the Force for having him at his side. The bright boy was becoming a wonderful Jedi and he was proud to be able to train Ani. 

Qui-Gon was sure that Ani was making him feel younger, which he couldn't say of his former Padawan. Obi-Wan didn't only cost him the last few brown strands of his hair, but also a few years of his life… But tomorrow, he would be happy to take the young man back to Coruscant and to hold him in his arms. Tomorrow….

Tbc...


	21. fate is unpredictable

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 21: fate is unpredictable

** Forest **

They had been walking again for nearly a day. Obi-Wan looked worriedly at them both.  First, there was Det. The young man seemed to be withdrawing in to himself more and more. Then there was Kyah, who had been silent. Strong feelings radiated from the two youngsters. There was hurt, betrayal, anger, and fear, but also love. The female teenager couldn't deny anymore that she had fallen for Det during this trip to the ghost-villages. He regarded her closely as the proud girl went in front of him, wearing her cherry-red hair in a braid. Though she tried not to show any signs of her emotion, her head hung slightly. Then Kenobi watched Det, who was walking next to him and didn't want to look at Kyah, but failed. Sometimes he peeked at the well-formed young woman who was wearing a green tank-top and brown loose-fitting pants. Obi-Wan sighed. They had to work together, now more than ever before.

Suddenly Det came to a halt and looked up at the Jedi.

"We are here," he said in a strong voice. Kyah turned her head to get a better impression of her surroundings. The Jedi didn't even realise that they weren't in a jungle anymore. 

"This is not good. You have to keep your focus, Kenobi! Keep your concentration on the here and now, where it belongs," he chastised himself quietly so that nobody could understand his murmured words.

There were small huts or houses and something that looked like  pavement. But you couldn't hear any animals in the small town. The sounds of the birds and insects weren't audible in that place. Now he knew why these deserted houses were called ghost-villages.

"It is said that this village is haunted by ghosts and monsters," Det said uneasily and swallowed.

"Thank you, Det," Kyah muttered.

"I think we should go into a house, talk frankly to each other and form a plan," Obi-Wan said in a stern voice as if he was talking to kids. But they were only kids! He was 20 and she was 16. Only Padawans were that young and not considered to be old enough to fight on their own. They needed protection and guidance.

So the three went into a dark looking hut and found a corner where they could sit down and face each other. Exhaustion was written all over their features and perspiration streamed down their faces.

"We must have a talk! Det, you begin! What did you tell your sister exactly?" Obi-Wan was finding more and more pleasure in playing the role of the mentor.

"I only told her that we were going to the ghost-towns. Kyah, please you've got to understand me! After our parents died two years ago, she took care of me and of you. She was worried and I couldn't leave her like that. you have to understand my reasons, Ky," he pleaded with the girl.

"Don't "Ky" me! You mean a lot to me, Det. I knew that  I couldn't trust her. She always hated me! She held me responsible for your parents' death," she said, beginning to sob. Obi-Wan's eyes became bigger and bigger.

"Kyah, she is my sister. I love her as I love you and she loves me," Det stated with a cracking voice.

"But she hates me, nevertheless! Her jealousy betrayed us!" Kyah continued to sob.

"So your sister knew our exact destination, Det," Obi-Wan asked carefully. He didn't want to cause the lad more distress. Det just raised his head and nodded.

"So Draju's forces will arrive very soon! My Master should be here in a few days. I feel through the Force that our bond is getting stronger every second, but he hasn't answered yet. So we have to form another plan without his help," Obi-Wan said with a hint of regret.

Suddenly, an arrow shot through the window and hit Obi-Wan in the shoulder. He roared out in pain and fell to the dirty floor of the building. He drew a few heavy breaths and everything went black. It seemed Draju's men were faster and better than Kenobi had expected.

Tbc…


	22. the crash of hope

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 22: the crash of hope

** Thanks again for the nice feedback! This is the inspiration I need! *grin* **

** ghost-villages **

The Jedi didn't move, didn't make a sound. Kyah knelt down almost instantly and shook the still form. She couldn't understand, what she just saw. He was a Jedi! You couldn't kill a Jedi like that! In the meantime Det grabbed his blaster and fired several shots in the direction of the archer. But there were more than just one. And these people weren't soldiers, they were better trained, more dangerous, they were bounty-hunters. This bunch wouldn't give up and they would stick together like glue. They only knew of one rule and that was money , they didn't care whom (is the casus correct?) they were hunting. Arrows were fired into the small house. The twilight in the room made it difficult to see and evade them. Kyah dragged Obi-Wan behind a foul and stinking table, which would provide a good cover. Det looked around and was relieved to see, that his friends found protection. The rain of arrows stopped. The lad peeked surprised of the window, and couldn't see them anymore. He frowned. 

He used this moment to ask how Kenobi was doing.

"He is not very well! We have to get the arrow out of his shoulder. Why did the fire cease? What are they planning, Det?" she demanded an answer, but the young man couldn't give her a satisfying response.

"I don't know. Lay Obi-Wan flat onto the ground and hold his shoulders, so that he can't make a move. I'm going to pull it out of his flesh. But there will be a lot of bleeding…" he said in a silent tone.

"What do you want to tell me? Do you want to tell me, that is not going to make?", she asked furiously and Det averted his gaze.

"Look into my eyes, when I'm speaking to you!"

"He is a Jedi, Kyah and I'm sure, that he survived situations, which were worse. Let's shut up! Just help me, alright?"

Holding the Jedi's shoulders very tight with her thin arms, she did as she was told. Det was unsure to touch the fatale thing, that stuck in his shoulder. His hands trembled slightly, when he made contact with the wooden, deadly killing instrument. Blood was flowing out of the wound and the man felt nauseous at the sight of it. He had to be brave. He had to convey tranquillity for Kyah. He couldn't panic, not now. He inhaled the foul air and coughed. His blond hair was damp with perspiration, his warm brown eyes closed. 

"Ok, let's count to three. Then you hold him down with all your strength and I pull this thing out, understand?" Det didn't think, that he sounded convincingly, but he tried to. A small "Yes" came from the girl's dry throat.

"….One….Two….Three, hold him!", he said in a harsh tone. He was sure, that this was more painful for him than it was for Kenobi. The older man responded with a low cry, but went still again. Kyah pulled a handkerchief of her pocket and pressed it to the now strongly bleeding wound. The red liquid was shooting out of it. 

All of them were sweating. But it was afternoon and the heat should have been decreased by now, but it was doing the opposite! It was increasing. Suddenly the smelled the stench of burning wood in their noses, of foul burning wood. The hut was on fire!

"Come' on Kyah we have to leave! I take Obi-Wan move, now!", Det took an arm of Kenobi and laid around his neck so that he could stand the weight of the muscular man.

"But they will catch us, if we go outside!", she said in a shrieking voice.

"I know, Kyah, I know…", Det let his boyish voice trail off.

The hut was surrounded of menacing people. Their weapons aimed at the trio. They had to surrender, and hope, that Obi-Wan's famous master would emerge in time.

The young Jedi always spoke of a plan, but a proper outline of this so-called plan never came up. Det smiled a bit at this situation. The lad had the suspicion, that Obi-Wan had secretly hoped, that his mentor would show up in time and help them to find a solution. But now…

The bounty-hunters laughed evilly at the "rebels" and congratulated each other for their courageous capture of the three "well-armed" criminals.

"Look at the Jedi!", a man dressed in a black armour said mockingly

"He is no use anymore and I won't drag him to the palace!"

"Let's leave him here, he will be dead in a few hours." Another one said coldly

"But Draju wants to have a proof of his death. Take his lightsabre from his belt, Ingbor."

As the man in black was told he took the sabre from the wounded Jedi and gave him a kick into his side. Obi-Wan didn't move. 

"I think, he's dead."

Kyah stood there like a statue out of stone. The shock was visible in her green eyes. Det looked to the floor because he was crying. Obi-Wan was dead, that couldn't be. The two prisoners were dragged away. Kyah was screaming Obi-Wan's name desperately and kicked her guards away, broke free and ran one last time to the fallen Jedi. He stroke his reddish strands out of his face and kissed him on his cheek and murmured words into his ears. Tears of grief rolled down her own cheeks. The would-be hunters moved to her side and pulled her violently away from her still friend.

"It was a honour to be able to know you, Obi-Wan! I will never forget you my friend!", she screamed as loud as she could. Now Det was crying openly, too.

"We will honour your legacy and fight!", he yelled back to the village.

Tbc.. 


	23. peeking behind the mask

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 23: peeking behind the mask

** shuttle**

The spaceship was diving into the atmosphere of the planet Dakona V. But suddenly Qui-Gon felt his former Padawan's life force slipping away. Oh Force no, not now, he gasped. They were so close, but his son's life seemed to be escaping from his grasp. Qui-Gon tried to locate the missing Jedi. He searched for Obi-Wan's force-signature, but only found a shadow of it's usual glowing aura. He closed his eyes and send powerful force waves into the 30-year-old man. Anakin just stared at his teacher and suppressed his questions. The teenager knew what was going on and did not dare to break the focus of his master. His blue eyes scanned the area. The force guided his actions and he flew the shuttle to his brother. The sandy-haired boy marvelled  at the planet's wild vegetation and greenness that seemed to be a jungle.

Qui-Gon's focus slipped because of the overwhelming feelings that shot through his tortured mind. There was love; he loved the missing Jedi and couldn't stand to lose him; regret; how Jinn regretted that he let Obi-Wan take this solo mission; confusion, why did this happen to Kenobi? And there was sorrow. What if he was too late? 

Suddenly Ani spotted a still form lying on some kind of stony path.

"Master, over there look, there he is," he yelled through the cockpit. Qui-Gon couldn't speak right now, as he felt that his strong voice would fail him in this moment of despair. Jinn went into the back of the shuttle and gathered some things together. He grabbed a med-kit and a stretcher that was leaning against the med-bay wall. Then he rushed to the door and waited for Ani to open it.

The younger Jedi landed the ship close to Obi-Wan. Jinn stormed out of the spacecraft with the med-kit over his shoulder. He hurried to the still frame of Kenobi. Blood had already soaked through the shirt he wore. Blood was practically everywhere. Master Jinn couldn't even make out the original colour of the shirt. Qui-Gon retrieved the medical equipment out of the med-kit and began working on him. Finally, Anakin joined Qui-Gon and became very sick at the view of the blood-smeared body of the Knight. He turned around and took a few breaths before facing Obi-Wan again. Kenobi's breathing made no sound and Ani wasn't able to detect the familiar force-signature of his fellow Jedi.

"Master .. How is . . . I mean . . .is he . . ." He couldn't form a proper sentence. Qui-Gon ignored the distressed boy and administered medication into Obi-Wan's cooling body.

"Ani, go and fetch the breathing support system out of the ship. He'll need it," Qui-Gon said, almost bursting out in tears. So the Padawan ran into the med-bay of the ship and tried to find the requested thing. Suddenly, he felt the flickering light aura of a familiar  person. He grabbed the breathing support system and flew outside, only to see a sobbing Master holding the silent knight in his arms. Ani dropped the heavy oxygen bottle.

"No, Obi-Wan," he yelled and ran to the kneeling Qui-Gon.

"It's alright, Ani! He'll live, little one," Qui-Gon said relieved, tears blurring his view.

"He did the right thing, when the rebels left him to die! He pretended to be dead and slipped into a deep trance that saved his life! He slowed his body functions down and reduced them to a minimum in order to survive and not to lose more blood. But it was close. He was giving up.", the Master explained to his overjoyed padawan and started to work on the battered body again. He pushed the tube Anakin had just brought down Obi-Wan's dry throat and attached it to the life-supporting system. Quickly, he lifted the man onto a stretcher and carried him, with Ani following, into the ship. There he cleaned the hole in Obi-Wan's shoulder and made the bacta tank ready. The green liquid bubbled with a monotone sound and made Qui-Gon very tired. He examined the young man's chest and abdomen only to see some bruises, cuts and to find a few cracked ribs. But only the high loss of blood worried Qui-Gon. He took off Obi-Wan's strange wardrobe and put him in the tank. A few more seconds he watched the form floating in the healing substance, then he went back to work.

"Anakin, take course for the palace. We have to report to King Draju of our discovery," he said in a low menacing tone. The next sentence that formed in his confused mind wasn't pronounced aloud. He would find the insane people who did this to Obi-Wan and if he had to, he would hunt them down- alone! 

A few minutes later, the palace came into their view. A puzzled looking king came to the landing platform and greeted the two new Jedi. 

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn and this is my apprentice Anakin Skywalker. We are here to investigate the ….", he was cut off by the king.

"Master Jinn, before we'll start to get formal, I would like to express my sympathy to you. My soldiers arrested the rebels who were responsible for capturing Knight Kenobi and trying to assassinate me. But they only found the dead body of Kenobi." Draju faked his shocked face well. In fact, he had to hide his laughter behind his mask.

Qui-Gon and Anakin frowned.

~ Master! But he is alive! ~ a questioning voice came over their bond.

~ I know. Let me speak and don't interrupt me. Just don't say a single word, my young apprentice~ Qui-Gon added quickly over their bond.

"When did they find Kenobi," Qui-Gon asked in a tone that was full of grief and sadness. Anakin tried to avoid looking surprised and started to act as good as Qui-Gon.

"Yesterday afternoon. They sent a messenger as quickly as possible to me to explain the matter," Draju said in a compassionate tone.

~ Master, but he ….~

~ I know Ani, but it is hard to discover any pulse, when a Jedi slips into trance ~

~ If they searched for one! ~ Ani snapped back.

Young Skywalker didn't like the king because he sensed that his feelings weren't real, that they functioned as a façade. He couldn't tell why, but Qui-Gon taught him to trust his instincts.

"When will they arrive," Jinn asked curiously, but never losing his mask of grief.

"Oh, if they are fast, this evening," Draju said plainly. He couldn't tell him the rest. Draju thought that his bounty-hunters would need three days to get to the villages, but he didn't count with the imaginations of those men. Now he had the Jedi on his side. His dreams would be fulfilled. Nobody was able to stop him now.

Tbc…


	24. meeting at the crossroads

The Hidden Truth 

Chapter 24: meeting at the crossroads

It was dusk. The night was falling over the kingdom and leaving a definite chill in the air. A cool breeze blew over her tanned skin, but she didn't feel the chilly touch. The pain inside her was numbing her senses. She let her friends down- every single one of them. Det's parents had to die because they had protected her from the monster Draju, Det would be awaiting the same fate, Obi-Wan had died for her and her supporters. She couldn't think of all the innocent people who would have to endure torture and a painful death just because of her. Kyah could make out the outlines of the palace. A thunderstorm was brewing, which was obvious from the smell of the heavy air. Kyah eyed Det closely. His head was hanging and he seemed to be ashamed and his eyes were red from crying. She laid a comforting hand on one of his shoulders and tried to smile for him. He smiled shyly back and beamed red. The lad was embarrassed because of his behaviour. She couldn't be angry with the stupid and naïve man next to her. 

"Det, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not mad at you. I don't have any brothers or sisters and I don't know the feeling of having a relative out there who cares for you. For two and a half years I've been alone. You were my only friend and I'm sorry for treating your sister like I did. She has the right to hate me. Not only she was angry and jealous. I felt this dark feeling rising inside of me when she was with you and you both were laughing and enjoying yourselves. So I always tried to get your attention. I'm so sorry…," she said very quietly, so that only the blond-haired man could understand her. Her eyes began to water again and now she was the one who looked embarrassed. Det brought his chained hands up and wiped away her tears with his big thumb.

"You don't have to be sorry. We both made mistakes that led to this." He pointed with his immobile hands to the bounty-hunters.

"But I don't regret anything ... I like being close to you. If Obi-Wan could see us now, he would be proud because we're talking frankly to each other. I think he peeked behind our facades." Det shook his head.

"Kyah, I'm not going to let the Jedi down again. I won't break my promise to him. We will fight. If we have to die, we should give them a proper fight, don't you think? Maybe Obi-Wan's Master has arrived in the meantime and can help us. We shouldn't lose our hope," he said with a quiet voice and suddenly kissed her. He just did it and didn't think about it twice. The hunters began to cheer loudly. They didn't have anything against the entertainment that was presenting itself in front of their eyes.

"Boy, you have the right attitude! Enjoy the last moments of your life," Ingbor laughed.

The teenager closed her eyes and kissed him one last time on his cheek. 

Finally, they reached the village, but there was no soul on the streets. It looked almost like the ghost-villages, but here another form of stench seemed to hang in the air. It was more unnerving and disgusting than the atmosphere in the ghost-villages. It was the smell of evil, which waited for blood. She bit her lips and made a composed face. She looked at her fellow companion and he looked right back at her.

The gates to the palace opened and they were pulled into the court. Det had never been there before and looked around in awe. It was so clean and expensive. There were statues of people and rare plants. The palace even had a landing platform for spaceships. He looked closer and was able to see Obi-Wan's ship. He shuddered and clenched a fist, but what was that? There were two ships! This had to be the one belonging to Kenobi's Master! The people of Dakona didn't have the technology to build spacecrafts. The planet had entered the Republic three years ago under the rule of King Bronco, Kyah's father. Step by step, the king received technology and visitors from the Republic. Now he knew why Draju was so mad about this decision to enter the Republic. He always had planned to become king by killing his brother. Now Draju was after the deadly weapons of the Republic. If the Senate only knew what the despot did to his people, to the last king. The official reason for Bronco's death was an accident. That had explained the battered dead body of the former king. The people didn't ask, didn't dare to ask, the dictator. Det shook his head sadly. Before he knew what was happening, they stood in the throne room of Draju, who was smiling satisfied at the scene in front of him. The 20-year-old turned his head around to get a better view of  this room and saw two silent figures standing at the side of the throne. They were dressed like Obi-Wan, well at least they were wearing the same pants. Det had never seen the Jedi fully dressed in his robes. The lanky older man had a penetrating gaze and watched the two prisoners closely. The child next to him looked a bit flabbergasted and sported a stupid hairstyle. Det had to admit that the Knight hadn't had a nice haircut either. Then, Ingbor stepped in front of the group and bowed to the tyrant.

"Your Honour, we are here to hand over the two rebels. But I'm afraid that The Jedi was already dead when we found him," the bounty hunter said in an obedient voice. He wasn't a stupid man, though he wasn't really clever either. He was in charge of this bunch of hunters and was told how to handle the matter of the dead Jedi by king Draju personally. The rest of his fellow hunters had been told to shut up, no matter what he said. The two rebels and the Jedi winced at the words of the hunter Ingbor.

"Kyah Tara and Det Bignis! You are responsible for the death of Knight Kenobi," Draju asked in a harsh voice. The two young people in front of him didn't know what to say because they felt responsible for it. The two silent Jedi watched the scenario and were sure that they felt guilt and regret radiating from the children.

"You killed him," the King exclaimed with fury.

The two shook their heads in the negative. 

"We didn't.." Det tried to speak up, but was interrupted by Draju.

"Take the traitors to his sister," Draju spoke and pointed at Det. Now panic rose inside the young man; they had captured Edi. The king clapped his big hands and they were escorted to the dungeon. 

The Jedi stepped into the foreground and went to the King. 

"Your Majesty, what will happen to these children," Qui-Gon asked.

"They will be executed after a long hearing that will uncover the circumstanced of Knight Kenobi's death," Draju said evilly, and Anakin could have sworn that he saw a flicker of a smile on the king's lips, but stayed silent.

The two bowed and went to their transport in order to monitor Obi-Wan with their own eyes and not through the med-droid. 

"Master, I have a bad feeling about this," the boy said in a low voice.

"You are becoming more and more like Obi-Wan, Ani, and you should take it as a compliment," the Master told his student. They both had to smile.

"I don't think that these two children could have done anything to Obi-Wan, either. There is a hidden truth in this issue. We just have to discover it and Obi-Wan could be of great help."

Tbc…


	25. there is no ignorance, there is knowledg...

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 25: there is no ignorance, there is knowledge

** Thank you for your reviews! And thanks again to my wonderful beta-reader Scott. We are approaching the showdown!**

Qui-Gon watched the motionless body float in the bacta tank. A med-droid was hovering next to the tank and monitored the progress of the patient. Anakin was lying on the med-bed and snoring lightly. It had been a long day. 

"Master Jinn, it is not necessary to check on Knight Kenobi. Maybe you should rest," the droid said with its mechanical voice.

"No, I need to stay awake in case he wakes up," Qui-Gon answered, his gaze never leaving Obi-Wan.

"He won't wake up until tomorrow evening, Master Jinn. His injuries are too severe to let him wake earlier," the droid said.

"That doesn't influence my decision, but thank you for your concern," the teacher ended the conversation. But Jinn needed to think. He had to evaluate the king and his men and these two children who couldn't have done that to Obi-Wan. If they had done this, they would have needed massive support from other people, but they were the only ones who had been captured. This was strange. Qui-Gon frowned. During this mission, he would need a clear mind and would have to act very fast. The Jedi-Master concentrated and reached out for the Force. He had to contact Obi-Wan over their training bond. He needed to know the truth.

_~ Obi-Wan, can you hear me? ~_ Jinn asked in a low mental voice

_~ Master? Master…where are you? ~_ a groggy voice responded. 

_~ We, that means you, Ani and me are on our spacecraft. You are in a bacta tank recovering from your injuries… ~ _Qui-Gon told the puzzled Obi-Wan.

_~ What, are we on our way to Coruscant? What about Kyah and Det? We couldn't have left them behind. ~ _Obi-Wan was struggling to wake up and broke the link off. Suddenly, two very tired eyes flew open and tried to focus. The med-droid was making angry sounds, but Kenobi was awake and therefore had to be taken out of the tank. Qui-Gon lifted the sleepind Anakin's sleeping form in his arms and carried him into his cabin, so that there was enough room for Obi-Wan. 

When he returned, an almost dry Knight was lying on the med-bed. He was still very weak and fighting to stay conscious. Tubes and wires were attached to almost every inch of his body and an oxygen mask was placed over his mouth. Most of his body was covered by a warming brown blanket. The master sat down at the edge of the bed and stroke the still wet hair out of Obi-Wan's face. The Knight opened his eyes again, focused on his former teacher and gave him a weak smile. Slowly a hand reached for the mask in order to pull it down, but the elder Jedi caught the hand.

"No, Obi-Wan, leave the mask on. It is better for you, boy. You gave us a very big scare, "Padawan"." Qui-Gon still used the title as an endearment for the young Knight. He never called Anakin "Padawan", but "my Apprentice" or "Ani". "Padawan" was Obi-Wan's title.

Obi-Wan tried to speak, but his voice failed and the mask was disturbing him.

"Listen to me, we are not on our way to Coruscant. We are on the landing platform of King Draju," Qui-Gon explained. Obi-Wan's eyes went wide with shock and he was breathing rapidly now.

"Calm down, Obi-Wan," Jinn said in a soothing tone.

"Nobody is going to touch you again! They all think that you are dead. Ani and I found you this morning in a strange looking town. You were laying in a pool of blood. We kept your survival as a secret." With that, Obi-Wan took off the oxygen mask and opened his mouth to speak. He had to tell Qui-Gon everything about Draju and Kyah.

"No, Qui-Gon, don't tell me to put the mask on," he said in a faltering voice.

"I will tell  you who did this to me and I will explain why and all the circumstances of it. It was Draju!" At first, the Knight hesitated, but he told the Master everything. He spoke of Kyah and her torture, of her father, the document, the so-called rebels and of Draju's plan and threat to the population. He even spoke of their trip to the ghost-towns and how Draju had tried to hunt them down. Beads of sweat formed on his temple from the exhaustion of explaining the conspiracy. 

"This injury came from being shot by an arrow. I swear that I didn't sense or see anything until it had been too late," he said with his last strength, as if to defend himself, just as the insecure 13-year-old boy he had been would have done. This character-trait never seemed to leave Obi-Wan alone. Qui-Gon chose not to dwell on the defending voice of Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan, where is that document you spoke of?"

"It should be in a pocket of my pants. Why," he asked sleepily. 

"Because we will need it as you will need your strength. Good night my son." The Master waved his hand and mind-tricked the drained Knight. When Qui-Gon was sure that Obi-Wan was snoozing, he put the mask on Kenobi's mouth again and went to Obi-Wan's clothes. The blood had dried, but pants and shirt stuck together like glue. Hasty, the teachers enormous hands searched through the pants to find the evidence which proved Kyah to be the rightful heir of King Bronco. His hands suddenly made contact with a folded piece of paper in one of Obi-Wan's pockets, and he hastily yet gingerly drew It out.  Nervously he read it and put it into his tunic. Now he only had to form a plan to rescue the prisoners and to bring the despot to justice. He licked his lips and went to his cabin. Lazily, he sat down on his cot and watched the ceiling. This was going to be a long night. The plan had to be good and secure.

"Think, Jinn, think," the Master muttered under his breath. 

After several hours of reflection, he suddenly jerked his head up.

"That's it!"

Tbc….


	26. a ray of light

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 26: a ray of light

The dungeon was dark and cool. Not a single ray of light made it through the windows of the prison. Kyah sat in a corner of the gloomy place, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. One of her cheeks was resting on one knee. She felt awful and her face was expressionless. Her green eyes just stared into the room, having no aim and she shivered. Edi lay in her brother's lap. She wouldn't survive much longer, they all knew it. Nobody knew what to say or what to do. The only audible sound in the cell was the breathing of the trio. Desperation, helplessness and hopelessness determined the mood in the cell. First, when Det and Kyah were thrown into the cell, a loud argument began. Who betrayed whom, who was responsible and so on, but now nobody cared any more. Their fate was sealed. Their hopes of a better future were depleted, dead, and Draju had won. The battle was lost. Suddenly, Edi's breathing became ragged and shallow and she began coughing blood. Det gazed at his sister, his only living relative. One last time Edi looked with her big grey eyes at her beloved brother and died. How easily death could take away loved persons in one instant. One moment she had been alive, in the next she was dead. Det closed his eyes and kissed his sister on her cooling temple. Finally, the misery he had been through during the past two years became unbearable. At first, he lost his parents, his home, his freedom and now his sister. He couldn't hold his tears any more and he began to sob. The sobs became louder and were developing into screams. Slowly, Kyah raised her cheek from her knee and watched her grieving friend, but she couldn't cry. She had seen too much in her young life and there was nothing that could penetrate her "armour" anymore. Det's screams echoed through the court, even the Jedi could hear him. A recovering Obi-Wan opened his eyes and listened for a few seconds to the voice that was behind all those cries of terror. 

"Det," he concluded. He tried to stand up, but after moving slightly, the world around him was spinning and he fell from his bed. The med-droid came quickly to his aide and was again making angry sounds.

"Knight Kenobi, you shouldn't stand up! Rest or your wounds won't heal." Again, the droid ordered the annoyed Jedi to bed. He tried to help Kenobi up, but the Knight's wobbly legs wouldn't hold his weight properly and so they both fell to the floor again. Qui-Gon heard the strange noise from the med-bay and rushed to it. He was startled at the view that was presented in front of him. Obi-Wan sat with his butt on the face of the droid. Jinn couldn't help his chuckle and hoped that the robot couldn't hear him. He reached for Obi-Wan's arm and laid it around his neck in order to help him up. Obi-Wan flinched at the movement of his arm, but was relieved to be put into his bed again. The droid needed a bit more time to stand up again.

"If you could excuse me for a short time, I would like to repair my damaged head," the metallic voice said.

"Of course, I will stay with Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon told the droid.

Obi-Wan waited for the robot to leave before he spoke.

"Master, did you hear the screams?" Obi-Wan fell into his old habit and called Qui-Gon "Master" again.

"Det, it was Det's voice. You've got to help them, Master, please," the knight pleaded.

"I will help them, I have a plan. But first, I need to know whether you damaged Mace's shuttle or not because he wants to have it back. And secondly, how many supporters of the girl are there," the Master asked gently.

"I didn't do anything to Master Windu's spaceship, not this time, I didn't have a chance to," Obi-Wan answered dryly but nevertheless weakly. "There are maybe 100 so-called rebels, but they are scientists and old politicians and don't possess any kind of weapons. They are peaceful."

"Very well. In the morning we will take off and search the camp in the forest. There we will wait for help. King Draju won't be king of Dakona V much longer. Being only two Jedi we can't do anything against him. We would only end up in one of his prisons. Diplomacy won't help us either. Obi-Wan, I'm going to contact the temple and the Senate and then I will go and help these two kids." but Obi-Wan had already dozed off. Qui-Gon raised his brow and went to the cockpit. He called for reinforcement and was glad to hear that there were Jedi teams on their way to Dakona V. They would reach the surface in a few hours. Then he sneaked out of the spacecraft and tried to get into the dungeon. The guards were fast asleep and he didn't have any problems getting the keys and making it to the cell. A part of the Master was disappointed that he didn't have to mind-trick the soldier…

Carefully he opened the door and stepped into the dark room.

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I'm the former Master of Obi-Wan Kenobi," he introduced himself.

"Obi-Wan told us a lot of things about you. We didn't kill him, you have to believe me," Kyah stated in a defeated voice, never looking up. Qui-Gon looked around and what he saw shocked him. A dead body was laying next to the boy. The feelings that circled in this room crashed down on him and it was hard to maintain his calm appearance.

"I'm here to help you, stand up! We have to go," he said urgently. But Det made no move. He was still kneeling next to his fallen sister and didn't want to go without her. Qui-Gon went to the boy and tried to convince him to go.

"Det, she is dead, let her go. You can't help her anymore. Your death won't bring her back again. So please, boy, come with us. We haven't much time," the Jedi said compassionately. The 20-year-old eyed him wearily and began to rise. Kyah joined him and took his hand as if she wanted to tell him that she would always be there for him. He squeezed her hand and they left the dungeon with the Master. They passed the snoring guard and made it to the spaceship. Nobody knew of their flight. Qui-Gon would explain everything later, but now he had to pilot the ship to the camps in the forest.

"Kyah, Det? I need your help in the cockpit I need you to show me where the camps are."

Tbc…


	27. whispering hope

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 27: whispering hope 

Draju paced in his bedroom full of rage. How could something like this have happened? The guard who was responsible for their escape would suffer for his mistakes. He went to his window and looked into the distance. He would find them and then he would kill every single one with his own hands. Draju was so lost in his thoughts of revenge that he didn't hear soldiers entering his bedroom.

"Your Highness, we have found the responsible guard who let the prisoners escape," a dark voice said and threw a trembling man at Draju's feet. The soldier kissed the tyrant's feet and didn't look at him.

"I'm so sorry, your highness, but the Master Jedi, who seems to be responsible for their flight, must have bewitched me. I can't explain what happened," the man stuttered.

"You can't explain what happened because you were asleep, Agricus. Your Majesty, we found this bottle of alcohol under his desk."

"So, you were sleeping! You know what I will do to you, don't you? Your sleep could be counted as treason. You know what kind of punishment stands on such a betrayal," the king asked with menace. He wanted to see blood. This pathetic guard may have destroyed his life. If he had to die, he would take with him as many people as he could. His insanity gained the upper hand. The despot laughed hysterically and waved his hand. The arrested soldier awaited a painful death. The other guards dragged him away to execute him. The king dropped onto his bed and laughed himself to sleep. His fury burned inside him, but he couldn't control his emotions anymore. Tomorrow, he would gather his loyal soldiers who would defend him without thinking even once of their own lives. They would defend his precious palace and life.

****

The shuttle flew low over the rainforest of Dakona. Three figures sat in the small cockpit of the spacecraft.

"The camp is over there," Kyah said pointing her finger in the correct direction. Det kept silent during the flight. The girl and the boy had never been on such a transport before. Normally, they would have been bursting with curiosity and asked questions of all kind, but not today. The shock sat too deep. Qui-Gon landed the ship in a small clearing next to the camp. He led the two youngsters into the common room of the shuttle and let them sit down. He faced the two and began to speak.

"Kyah, Det, I know that the last 48 hours were hard for you." He struggled for the right words. Suddenly, Anakin came out of his cabin. His eyes were slits and his hair was standing in every direction.

"Master, why did we take off?" He was too sleepy to focus on the two passengers.

"Kyah, Det, meet my apprentice, Anakin Skywalker," he said, cocking one brow at his student. Suddenly, Anakin realized thay were having visitors and tried to straighten his hair nervously. Then, he bowed to the two.

"Master I think it would be better for me to join Obi-Wan in the med-bay," he said hastily and ran off. Kyah and Det looked at each other in surprise. They thought that the Knight was dead.

"What did he say? Obi-Wan?" Det opened his mouth for the very first time on board.

"Yes, he is alive, but far from being alright," the elder Jedi told them

"Can we see him," Kyah asked, her eyes sparkling again with hope.

"In a few hours maybe, but first we have to prepare a strike against Draju and his men."

Det and Kyah nodded in understanding. They encouraged Qui-Gon to tell them more.

"Jedi teams will arrive within the next couple of hours and we will be able to form an "army". Don't get me wrong. I don't want to start a war against the king, but I want to scare him off. Diplomacy, talks or war won't help against this Draju. We have to beat him by playing tricks on him and therefore we need your supporters. How many are there exactly?"

Kyah thought for a moment.

"There are 112, 65 men, 37 women and 10 children."

"Very well then. Could you call for an assembly here at the ship? I need to speak with them."

"Could we just have a look at Obi-Wan before we go," she asked, almost begging the Master. He gave them a small smile and they ran into the med-bay, where Anakin lay sleeping against Obi-Wan in the knight's warm bed. The duo neared the bed and watched the battered sleeping form of Kenobi. He looked much healthier than the last time they had seen him. Remembering their promise, they left the sick-bay and the ship. Enjoying their newly-won freedom, they took deep breaths when they stepped onto the rich, green grass. Then, they parted.

Thirty minutes later, they met with 112 people at the ship. Kyah hoped that Qui-Gon's plan was a good one because this was their last chance to survive this never-ending ordeal. She hadn't the strength to start another hopeless venture anymore.

Tbc…


	28. a step towards freedom

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 28: a step towards freedom

** Hi guys! I'm sorry that my chapters are so short, but the last two will be longer, I promise!!! Thank you for reviewing my story. You all are the best!**

Qui-Gon Jinn peeked outside. 112 people were waiting outside. Children, women, and men came together to listen to his plan and to discuss it. Among these people were scientists, former politicians and former servants of King Bronco. Curiously they regarded the spacecraft. They weren't afraid of it, though they hadn't seen something like this before. Some of the older men even neared the ship and touched the surface. The Master stepped outside, but stopped on the ramp in order to allow the crowd to catch a glimpse of Kyah and Det. A murmur went through the crowd. All eyes were directed at him. It was quite noticeable that he wasn't from this planet because of his outlandish wardrobe. He had to change that- as soon as possible. The future queen and her friend joined the Jedi on the small platform and Kyah raised her hand. The whispering ceased and she opened her mouth.

"My friends, this is Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master from Coruscant. He is here to help us. He came to free the planet from the cruel rule of King Draju." She turned her head, which was a signal for the Master to raise his voice. Qui-Gon cursed himself, for he had never been spontaneous. He wasn't a politician, just a negotiator, a diplomat, not trained to speak in front of more than 20 people. He swallowed and tried to structure his train of thoughts. 

"I have a plan to accomplish your, our aim. But first of all, I wish to tell you why you are in such a great danger." He licked his dry lips.

"Draju is afraid of you. He fears you all, but there is one among you that he fears more than anything or anyone else." He took a step back and laid a hand on Kyah's shoulder.

"This is the person, Kyah Tara, the rightful heir of Dakona V." A hissing sound went through the assembly. Even Det stood speechless next to his beloved friend. His chin dropped and his brown eyes became enormous, and he didn't seem to understand.

"King Draju has always been full of greed. But the fire of this dark feeling flared up when he found out that his brother wanted to see his daughter on the throne, instead of his younger brother. So Draju killed his own flesh and blood and made it look like an accident. But the evidence, which legalised a female ruler of the planet, broke the tradition of male regents and made Kyah the rightful heir of the throne of Dakona V, already existed. Draju took it and kept it secret so that nobody would ever know. Then Kyah found out that Draju killed her father and she had to flee in order to save her life." Here he paused, allowing the moment of silence to speak more earnestly than any words which he might have said. Finally, he went on.

"You know the rest of this tragic story. My former Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, found this document and "borrowed" it from the king. Draju fears that he will lose his power. That is why he wanted to kill his own niece and her loyal friends. He is frightened by the fact that Kyah could one day possess more supporters than he would!"

His voice trailed off. The crowd was silent and it seemed that they were hanging on every single word he was telling them. Kyah blushed slightly. Now Det took her hand to tell her that he would walk through hell for her. He would fight for her rights.

Suddenly, a familiar noise roared above their heads. A red spaceship landed next to Qui-Gon's. The supporters watched the event through the eyes of little excited children. The door opened and a dark-skinned Jedi strode to Jinn. Mace Windu cocked an eyebrow and made a desperate face.

"Hey Jinn, this isn't my ship! Where is my ship? Don't tell me Obi-Wan crashed it somewhere, because then….!" His threat was cut off by Qui-Gon's attempt to calm his best friend down.

"No, Obi-Wan didn't do anything to your shuttle. It is still at the palace." he said the last word with a wince. 

"Oh great, Jinn, now you are telling me that my new spaceliner 2005 is still at the palace, with this insane guy who calls himself king?" Windu spoke in a high-pitched voice.

"Mace, let me please finish my speech and then I'm going to explain everything to you and your companions. By the way, who are they," The bearded master asked.

"Garen Muln, Nepo Mook, Ardnas Snegrep and last but not least Master Arcus Sunstriker," Mace announced proudly.

"Alright, Mace. Tell them to mingle with these people and to dress like them. Same goes for you and me." Qui-Gon turned to face the crowd again.

"I do not expect you to fight, but I expect you to participate in a little trick that we will play on the king. You do not even have to touch a weapon. You just have to follow us." And so Qui-Gon told the audience his thoughts. He explained how the Jedi would pretend to be supporters of Kyah and  how he hoped that this mass of people would attract the attention of the villagers. If the villagers would join their  demonstration they would be the majority and king Draju's worst nightmare would come true. If they would attract any fighting, only the Jedi would have to participate in the battle and would protect the supporters with their lives.

"I know that this is a dangerous plan, but you have to stand up for your right for freedom and justice. My apprentice will take care of your children in the meantime, so don't worry. So who is going to join us? Please take a step to the front," Jinn asked hesitantly.

A few moments later, all of the people in front of him stepped closer and the Master smiled relieved.

"We will start tomorrow morning. We will transport small groups with our shuttles to the outskirts of the village. The Jedi will go first and await you there. May the force be with you."

Tbc….


	29. the point of no return

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 29: the point of no return

The Jedi rose before dawn and met in Qui-Gon's shuttle. The last briefing would take place there. But before it began, Garen Muln spoke up.

"Master Jinn, is it possible that I could see Obi-Wan before we depart? I mean he was one of my sparring mates in the temple and also one of my best friends. I'm just worried about him, you know.", the brown haired knight asked shyly.

"Of course you can see him Garen, but don't let the droid catch you," Qui-Gon answered.

Garen smiled and focused on the briefing. Every Jedi wore the typical clothes of the planet's inhabitants, dark pants and boots, white shirts and vests, which were very useful because of being able to hide their light-sabres. Snegrep and Mook were two very young recently knighted Jedi. Ardnas was 24 and a very beautiful tall woman with long blond hair. She still wore the ponytail of a Padawan and refused to cut her hair. She had lost her Master on their last mission and was knighted after his funeral. Because of that, she swore never to take an apprentice of her own. She didn't want to put her student through something like that. When she had to cut her braid, she burnt it almost instantly to wipe out the last reminder of her painful past. Her vivid golden eyes were fixed on Qui-Gon. Nepo Mook was only 22 and very young to be knighted. He was a very compassionate but eccentric person. He had thick black hair, but had dyed some strands blue. It seemed to be a sign of his newly gained independence. Jinn was glad that Obi-Wan had been mature enough not to do  something like that. Nepo's violet eyes focused on his datapad which he was holding on his lap. Master Sunstriker was an older Jedi, but very wise and very reasonable. He was a close friend to Yoda and worked rather as a diplomat than in the field. His grey short hair was combed neatly back and he wore specs on his crooked nose, that had been broken more than once. Anakin also sat at the table, but was dressed in his usual tunic. He had to look after the children and was very upset about this particular fact. Mace was the last to enter the ship.

"Sorry for being late, but I had to contact Master Yoda and report our plan.", he told the other Jedi in the room. Then Master Jinn rose and began.

"Good morning. This is our last meeting before we begin with our mission. Are there any questions left or is everything clear?"

"Yes, I have a question," the blond Knight spoke up. "What if the villagers won't join us? What if this plan fails? Do we have any opportunity to escape or is this a suicide mission?" That was a good question. They could try to leave the planet, but with only three spaceships, they wouldn't be able to transport all the supporters to Coruscant or any other planet.

"We won't fail, Knight Snegrep."

"Who can predict that, Master Jinn?" Her voice was a slight mockery of Jinn's.

"Nobody. We shall do what we must and have to trust the Force."

Ardnas shook her head. She never had understood why this Master Jinn was considered to be one of the best Jedi of all times. To her, he was just the most arrogant and self-assured Jedi ever with his blind trust in the Force.

"Did you try to negotiate with the King," Master Arcus Sunstriker demanded to know.

"No, but this would be hopeless. The king is a schemer and quite insane. My apprentice and I would have landed in the dungeon with Kyah Tara and Det Bignis."

"How do you know," the sceptic Master asked once again.

"Because he tortured a 16-year-old almost to death, killed a 22-year-old woman, tried to assassinate Obi-Wan Kenobi and faked an assassination attempt on himself," Qui-Gon said, trying hard not to lose his composure.

"I think this is enough." Mace Windu raised his voice. "We have a mission to fulfill and we should begin." With that they rose from the table and left the room. Only Garen stayed back because he wanted to say hello to his old friend. He snuck into the infirmary and watched for the med-droid. He bit his lip and turned his head around. The robot didn't seem to be anywhere near. So he went to the bed that held Obi-Wan captive. Obi-Wan's eyes opened when he sensed that someone was approaching.

"Garen, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, when your former Master was sent after you, Master Yoda declared that a Jedi team would have to be sent after Master Jinn, because you two together always attract trouble. And Secondly, Master Windu was afraid that you damaged his new spaceliner 2005. We could hardly hold him back from going with Jinn," Garen explained cheerfully.

"So how are you doing, Obi-Wan?"

"Well, how would you feel with a hole in your shoulder," Obi-Wan shot back and gave Garen a small grin. "I don't feel that bad anymore. But the droid and Mas.. Qui-Gon told me that the Healer in the temple would have to work on my shoulder again. I think they will lock me in the bacta-tank for a very long time."

"Better there than in our quarters, my friend. You are so untidy. By the way, where did you put my datapad? I couldn't find it anywhere!" But before Kenobi could answer, a droid flew into the room. Garen didn't trust his eyes.

"Em.. Obi-Wan. Why does this droid have a dent where the face should be?

"Don't ask. It's a long story."

"Alright, I better leave. It seems to be time for your medication." Garen went to the door, but had to say one more thing to the droid.

"You should repair your head! It really looks nasty." Then, he was thrown out of the med-bay by an annoyed 

droid.

Outside of the bay stood a distressed Anakin. He was fidgeting and looking very sad.

"Master, I don't want you to go without me. It is very dangerous and I feel so helpless by doing nothing but waiting," Ani told his mentor in a cracking voice. Qui-Gon knelt down and put a hand on Skywalker's trembling shoulder.

"Yes, it is dangerous. But you have an important job to do. You have to protect the children of those people and you will be at Obi-Wan's side. I can look after myself. I promise to be careful." He kissed the boy on his temple and left. He didn't want to make the farewell more difficult. 

Outside the ship, the crowd was assembling. Kyah and Det stood next to the group of Jedi and waited silently to fly to the village. They were holding each other's hands and enjoying their last moments together. Mace went to the crowd and told the people to bring their children into Qui-Gon's ship. Then the Jedi would take groups of 20 people and transport them to the outskirts of the village.

Garen and Nepo would accompany the first group and stay with them. Master Sunstriker and Knight Snegrep would accompany the second group and wait for the rest of the people at the clearing next to the small town. Mace and Qui-Gon would be the pilots and transfer the people. 

This was the battle that would decide the fate of the whole planet. They couldn't lose it.

Tbc…


	30. the true meaning of a hero

The Hidden Truth

Chapter 30: the true meaning of a  hero

**So this is the last chapter of my story. Enjoy it and let me know, what you think of it. Thanks again to my wonderful beta-reader, who suggested this ending. Thank you all for your reviews and feedback!!**

Qui-Gon breathed deeply and gave the signal to walk. The Jedi mingled with the crowd so that they couldn't be recognized as Knights, but every one of them was paying attention to their surroundings. Every one of them was keeping their hand near the lightsabres on their belts. Kyah walked next to Qui-Gon and was a bit concerned about the well-being of the people around her. Jinn seemed to pick up her thoughts and gave her a little reassuring smile. A smile could say more than thousands of words. His smile reflected hope, insecurity, belief, trust and worries. Though she didn't know the Jedi very well, she knew that he was an honest and reliable person and could be considered as a friend. Obi-Wan loved this man and she trusted and worshiped Kenobi. Hesitantly, she smiled back, but it didn't look confident. Det went next to the talkative Mace Windu. Mace also tried to convey tranquillity. He talked -without a pause- of his new spaceliner 2005 and how he hoped that the King hadn't touched it. Garen talked to a good-looking woman and was flirting heavily when they reached the village. The palace was in view. The thick walls of stone were coming nearer and nearer. Qui-Gon touched Kyah's shoulder and whispered,

"once we are in front of the palace, you'll take the lead. You have to speak to Draju and convince him to step down from the throne without a fight. Remember, he can't hurt you or anyone anymore. The Jedi are behind you, and we will protect you. So don't  be afraid. We will deflect the arrows, if we have to. Speak loud enough in order for the whole village to hear you. They have to join us in order to put more pressure on Draju. If it works, his soldiers will lay down their weapons and flee. You can't buy loyalty. You have to gain it through trust."

Kyah's mouth gaped open. Sure, she knew her part, but she was so nervous. He looked at her once again with his penetrating blue eyes and this time gave a confident smile before leaving her side. He strode to Ardnas and informed her of her special part. She had to watch for snipers. She was agile, quick, cunning and the best for this job, but nevertheless a selfish jerk. Her golden eyes were shimmering with anticipation. Jinn looked at each Jedi to make sure that they were taking their positions and was not disappointed. Kyah was standing in front of the gigantic entrance of the palace and her knees were trembling. She looked at the ground and encouraged herself.

"Come' on, you can do it. Stay calm, come' on Ky, you're gonna make it," she said to herself and shrugged her shoulders. Suddenly, King Draju appeared on the top of the wall with his soldiers around him, for he was truly a coward.

"Ah, Kyah, I thought that you learned your lesson—" he was cut off harshly by the girl that was standing 20 meters below the despot. 

"Draju, I can smell your fear. Don't even try to pretend that you aren't afraid of me and my people," She said in a very loud voice and tried to arouse interest. Villagers started to peek out of their windows and doors. Draju cocked an eyebrow, but didn't realize what she was trying to do.

"I want you to resign and hand over the power to the rightful heir of the throne…-me!" The soldiers had begun to murmur and looked unsure. The bravest of the villagers had already joined the crowd, followed by other villagers. Then the king raised his right hand and archers started to fire their weapons. The Jedi drew their lightsabres and deflected the arrows easily. Though the rain of arrows was quite thick, nobody was harmed. The crowd felt stronger and more confident. Even when burning arrows were shot into the mass, the Jedi deflected them easily. Draju was clearly shocked and enraged. So, there were more than two Jedi on his planet. Suddenly, his rage gave way to fear and he became frantic and didn't know what to say.

"You know that this brat killed a fellow Jedi?"

"We didn't kill him. Your men tried to murder him. But did you really think that you could kill a Jedi that easily, Draju? Obi-Wan isn't dead," Kyah screamed at the king.

"This is impossible," he yelled back in anger. He had Kenobi's lightsabre. It was a trophy, that was a wonderful eye-catcher, hanging above his throne. Once more he gave a signal to fire, but this time he gave not only the archers a signal to fire, but also someone hidden- a sniper.

****

Anakin was having a hard time dealing with the hyperactive children. They were crying for their parents and making enough noise for a hundred kids. Perspiration streamed down his face as he tried to calm the children down. He was just wondered what Obi-Wan was doing in the med-bay, when the door opened and a fully dressed Knight came out of it.

"Obi-Wan, you should stay in bed. Qui-Gon is going to kill me if he finds out that you stood up. Where is the droid," Anakin said, forgetting the children around him.

"The droid is trying to repair its head again. You know about the dent from the accident. And Qui-Gon doesn't need to know, alright? Remember the story with the socks? If you think that this was cruel, you'd better shut up, understand?" Obi-Wan grinned menacingly.

"Man, how could Qui-Gon live with you for almost thirteen years? I wouldn't survive a week with you, and poor Garen," Anakin teased back. Suddenly Kenobi became more serious.

"I can't lay in my bed and wait for them to return. I have to occupy myself. So I'll help you," the knight said to Qui-Gon's Padawan. He told the children to form a circle on the ground. The kids sat down under the scrutiny of an adult and became silent. Anakin sighed gratefully.

"Alright, now everybody will tell me his or her name. Afterwards we'll play a game and eat, how does that sound," Kenobi said delightedly. The children cheered. The 30-year-old man touched the shoulder of the child sitting next to him and told the girl to start. Then, a noise came out of the med-bay. Anakin sprang to his feet and rushed into it, only to find the severed head of a robot and a mechanical corpse which was trying to find its missing appendage. The corpse was rolling uncontrollably against everything that was in the room.

"Obi-Wan how did you do that," Anakin asked stunned from the infirmary.

"The droid is too trusting. That will teach him not to let a patient help fix the damaged head.

****

The sniper aimed at Kyah's chest and fired the arrow, but the arrow was reflected by a young woman who was rushing to the girl's side. The sniper knew that he was detected and jumped from the roof he was lying on. He never got far because the Jedi stopped him and took care of him before he could flee. More and more people joined the group in front of the palace.

"Draju, give up and nothing will happen to you. Soldiers of Dakona, surrender and the Jedi won't harm you," the teenager announced. Some of the soldiers were leaving. They dropped their weapons and ran to the gate of the palace to surrender. But Draju didn't change his opinion. He stood like a stone on the top of the wall protected by his bodyguards. Burning arrows rained on the group, but the Jedi were quick enough to deflect all of them. But Garen didn't deflect one burning arrow correctly. His Lasersword met the metallic tip of the arrow and hit it like a baseball back into the palace. It flew over the heads of the flabbergasted soldiers and king and landed very unfortunately. It landed on, or to be more precise, in Mace's new spaceliner 2005. Obi-Wan had neglected to shut the small skylight. Thick clouds of smoke rose into the sky. Every soldier left his position and ran full of panic to the gate. But Draju stayed on the top of his palace. He didn't make one move. Coughing soldiers, servants, slaves, children and women opened the gate and rushed outside to safety. Mace peeked into the court in order to see what the source of the smoke was and his heart stopped for a second.

"Jinn, I will kill Obi-Wan for that. Look! My spaceliner, my pride!! It's burning!" Mace was barking at his closest friend in a very un-Jedi like manner. Suddenly, the ship exploded and their was no way to get in the palace anymore. There wasn't a way in, nor a way out. Mace regretted his statement after saying it. Draju climbed down the stairs of his precious castle. He would rather die here than in a prison on another planet. Slowly, he sat down on his throne and waited for the flames to engulf him.

The Jedi stared unbelieving at the gate. They couldn't do anything for the despot. Criminal or not, every life was precious and it hurt to lose one like that. The fuel tanks of the ship were on fire and with the lack of technology on this planet, they couldn't control the flames. Tapestries began to catch fire, then the carpets, the wooden furniture. Draju was the captain of this sinking ship and the captain would never leave his ship; he would rather die with it. The whole palace was burning down, wiping out every life contained within its walls. The stone walls secured the village from the deadly flames and for the first time served as protection.

Kyah turned around and faced the crowd. Her voice was heavy with regret.

"Let the fire stand for a new beginning, the birth of a Republic. The King is dead. I do not want to repeat the pattern of my ancestors. I want to be the first thread in a new tapestry. Something like this shall never happen again. We have to build up a democratic system and to elect our leader. The Birth-right of a king doesn't make him a good leader. A good leader has to be judged by his or her merit."

Everyone was impressed by the girl. She was very wise for her age and juggled her words skilfully. Det went to her side.

"I want to suggest Kyah Tara as our new leader, our first Governor of Dakona V." The people cheered around her. Now she was speechless. She didn't want to make a hasty decision and so went for a walk with Det. The Jedi and the people flew back to the camp, where impatient children were waiting for their parents.

Obi-Wan had slipped back into bed again and tried to fake sleep, but wasn't able to. Anakin had placed the head of the droid next to Obi-Wan's med-cot. The babbling of the robot made Obi-Wan mad.

"Anakin, take the stupid droid's head away," he screamed into the common room of the ship.

"I didn't behead the robot because I loved it!" But Obi-Wan couldn't say anything more because his former Master stepped into the doorframe.

"You did what," Jinn asked calmly. Obi-Wan had to swallow quickly. Even though he wasn't Qui-Gon's Padawan anymore, he still felt intimidated by him.

"Obi-Wan is it not enough that you gave the droid's head a new shape," the Master asked with a smile twitching the corners of his mouth. Suddenly, the droid said,

"Master Jinn, your former apprentice left the bed against my strict orders. That is why he severed my head." Obi-Wan was shocked that the robot told Qui-Gon about it. His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth was hanging open.

"You metallic snitch," he muttered.

"Master, I couldn't wait here. I had to do something, so I helped Ani look after the children." Obi-Wan had become pale and he was getting sleepy.

"Obi-Wan, you are looking tired. Why don't you take a nap," Jinn said and waved with his hand.

The next day the Jedi were ready to leave. The first Jedi team had already left with a devastated Mace Windu and the lovesick Garen Muln. But Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Ani  wanted to say goodbye to the new elected Governor of Dakona V. Kyah was sitting next to Obi-Wan and told him that she wanted him to be her witness to her marriage. She wore her cherry-red hair loose for the very first time.

"A wedding? Kyah, you are only sixteen years old. That's too young," the Knight told her.

"But I'm not too young to rule a planet. Believe me Det is the right man." She took Det's hand. Det, who was standing next to her, beamed like it was all of the best days of his life combined in to one marvellous day.

"I wish you both all the best! Det, watch after your future wife. You won't meet another woman like her ever again. Your parents would be proud of you both."

"Yes they would! I hate to say goodbye. I want to make it as short as possible. So goodbye Knight Kenobi," Kyah said and kissed Obi-Wan on his cheek. Then she ran out of the room, for tears were glistering behind her green, sparkling eyes.

"Yes, goodbye Obi-Wan. We owe you everything! Now I can admit it. I couldn't stand you at first. I was jealous," Det said in a hushed voice, so that Kyah couldn't hear him.

"Well I couldn't stand you either. I thought that you were a traitor."

"But that was almost true, because I told my sister, who betrayed us. I can't believe it, you know. Her treason resulted in her death…" Now Det blinked back his own tears .

"So goodbye Obi-Wan ,but I won't kiss you!" The boyish voice was back again.

"A handshake will do fine, my friend!" So Obi-Wan stretched his healthy arm and shook Det's hand, then Bignis went and said his good-bys to Qui-Gon and Anakin. A few minutes later, the engines roared and they departed. Obi-Wan leaned his head against his soft pillow. So much had happened in his young life. Bandomeer, Xanatos, Bruck, New Apsolon, Tahl, Naboo and now Dakona V. His emotions were crashing down on him and threatening to sweep him away completely. Suddenly, he felt that this was the right time to speak about Naboo to his Master. Ani wouldn't understand, not yet. The boy would understand only with time and training. He called Qui-Gon over their bond.

"Qui-Gon, I have to tell you something," he said as soon as Qui-Gon came in to the room.

"What is it? You are sounding so serious."

And, for the first time since the fateful day of the Battle of Naboo, Obi-Wan finally told him all.

Ende


End file.
